Wout van Aert considers possibility of heat training in the future: "I would like to do anything that can make me better in a legal way"

Team Visma | Lease a Bike are with no doubt at the top of the cycling world currently when it comes to training methods. Heat training is one such topic that is still being tested by riders and teams; Wout van Aert provides his opinion on it ahead of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

"I believe in heat training and definitely want to give it a try. I would like to do anything that can make me better in a legal way," van Aert shared with Het Laatste Nieuws. "Our team is busy researching how they can get the maximum effect from heat training. I will wait for that investigative phase until the team knows better how and what."

Such training is used by a few pro riders, as means of adapting to racing in hot weather and under very high intensity. This typically means training indoors in a hot room and/or with extra layers of clothes, to force the body into such state. However at the time being it's still very much an experimental process, which is not confirmed to give riders performance benefits. However the Belgian does believe that with years evidence may prove that to be the case, as was the case with altitude training.

"Fifteen years ago, riders were already climbing at altitude, but they did not yet know how to do it perfectly. Now I am sure that our team knows very well how to manage an altitude training period to get the best effect from it," the classics specialist belives. "It may well be that we can soon also say the same about heat training."