Wout van Aert's already short cyclocross stint this winter was cut down even shorter as his first planned outing at the Zilvermeercross Mol was put aside after the Belgian rider fell ill. However, today it was possible to talk to team members on the course of the popular Superprestige race, and van Aert is feeling better at the moment.
“Wout was last able to train on Saturday, when he rode to the coast. And on Friday he did another cross training, with Daan Soete. He was certainly ready for it. But suddenly he felt ill, there was nothing he could do about that," Jan Boven shared with Wielerflits. "There were more people sick at home.”
This illness makes it only five crosses for van Aert this winter, if all goes to plan. This will end in Maasmechelen on the 25th January and until then he will do a few events. At the time being, it doesn't seem like anything else in his schedule will have to change.
“We don't know much more than what we announced yesterday. Only that he got up this morning in a reasonably good condition. In any case better than the day before, it is now a matter of recovering," Boven says.
The Exact Cross Loenhout on the 27th December is likely his first race, where he will likely be meeting Mathieu van der Poel for the first time in months as well. “Ultimately he was really looking forward to it. You have to put those plans on hold, but when you have been sick for a whole day, you also know that there is no other option. There will be no extra crosses anyway. The plan is still for him to resume in Loenhout.” Van der Poel in the meantime has begun bringing in comfortable wins.