"Since the Cyclocross World Championships, something he does has been magnified every day," notes former Belgian national coach
Sven Vanthourenhout. "You would think that Wout would be used to that by now and that he could handle it, but the tension is still building towards that opening weekend. And if you don't fully meet expectations, that can weigh on you."
“He is too popular,” Wuyts nods in agreement, recalling a notable example of the immense attention Van Aert receives, especially in Belgium. “I still remember what I experienced last year on the starting podium of the E3 Saxo Classic. Mathieu van der Poel got a deafening applause, but with Van Aert it was a times five. I am also convinced that he will get a bigger applause than Remco Evenepoel. He is by far the most popular.”
“Van Aert is a star, but also an underdog. He is two in one, and he has to deal with that," adds Wuyts in conclusion. "I asked him on stage: 'Does that stimulate you to give even more of yourself or is it the other way around?' He said that I should not ask him that question at that moment. He is struggling with that, isn't he? He is approached as a demigod. Whether he wins or loses, he will always be on the first cycling page.”