Wout van Aert and Team Visma | Lease a Bike not on the same page? "He still wanted to start in Gent Wevelgem"
Cycling
Once again, Wout van Aert finds himself at the centre of
attention, and once again, the headlines surrounding the Belgian are far from
positive. Following a disappointing ending to an otherwise strong performance
at Dwars door Vlaanderen, the scrutiny has only intensified.
In their post-race analysis, HLN revealed that Van
Aert had expressed interest in riding Gent Wevelgem, only to be blocked from
doing so by his coach at Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The team ultimately
prioritised data and recovery over instinct and emotion.
“And it wasn't that there weren't any thoughts in his Kempen
head,” HLN wrote. “On Friday in the E3 Saxo Classic he had hoped for a
better race and result. Before the start of Dwars door Vlaanderen he indicated
the fact that he wasn't good enough to win on Friday as 'not a matter of
state', but internally he had seriously started to doubt the run-up to his two
main goals on Friday evening.”
Van Aert reportedly approached his team about the
possibility of adding Gent Wevelgem to his programme, despite it not being part
of his original race schedule. The classic has not featured in his calendar in
recent seasons due to the physical dip riders often experience five to six days
after returning from altitude training.
“Within his team, Van Aert had asked whether it was an idea
to ride Gent-Wevelgem after all. That race was not on his schedule last year
and this year either, because you often get a physical setback five to six days
after a long altitude training camp,” HLN reported.
There was room in the squad following the withdrawal of a
sick rider, and Van Aert hoped the door might open for a late inclusion.
However, the decision ultimately fell to Mathieu Heijboer, Van Aert’s coach and
the team’s Performance Manager, who opted against it.
“For his head and his feelings, Van Aert still wanted to
start in Gent-Wevelgem,” the report continued. “There was also room, because at
Visma they had to field a replacement anyway, to replace a sick rider. The
final decision was up to Mathieu Heijboer, Van Aert's trainer and also the
team's Performance Manager. He decided not to. The numbers took precedence over
feelings.”
Team manager Grischa Niermann confirmed the internal debate
following Dwars door Vlaanderen. While acknowledging it had been a
consideration, he stood by the final decision, citing the need for recovery
over extra racing.
“It was indeed an option that Wout would still ride
Gent-Wevelgem, but we chose not to do that,” Niermann explained. “Adding an
extra race to a program as a last resort does not always work out well. If we
had seen based on our figures that Wout was still lacking certain elements
after Harelbeke, we would have agreed, but the analysis by our trainers showed
that Wout could especially use some extra freshness so soon after his altitude
training.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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