Wout van Aert's Cyclocross World Championships absence "no surprise to me" says Belgian national coach
Cycling
Wout van Aert's cyclocross calendar was confirmed yesterday by Jumbo-Visma and he will miss out on the World Championships. The conscious decision to focus on the road season was no surprise to Sven Vanthourenhout, the national coach.
“I haven't heard Wout in recent weeks, but we already had those conversations in the summer. His program is no surprise to me," Belgian national coach Sven Vanthourenhout told Sporza. "Cyclocross racing is no longer the main profession of top riders such as Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock. The cyclocross races are no longer a goal for them.”
Last winter van Aert and van der Poel kicked off their racing before the Christmas block to bring their A-game to the World Championships in Hoogerheide. Both took their victories and went in very balanced, however the Belgian did not come out of it with the victory he had hoped for. Whilst he managed to plan well and take great form into the spring classics, he wants to race differently in 2024.
“You have to accept that Van der Poel and Van Aert make choices. As much as we want to see them in the field, we are also looking forward to seeing them race in the Tour of Flanders, Tour [de France] and at the Road Cycling World Championship," he continues. "And riding everything is not possible. That is past tense. This decision will certainly help us reach a very high level again. Wout will certainly be at his best, but only one can win the race.”
This puts Mathieu van der Poel in an ultra-favourite position for the Tabor World Championships, for the time being. It is still unknown whether Tom Pidcock will race or not, but taking into consideration the extra attention he is set to give MTB this year because of the Olympic Games, it would not be too likely.
“Van der Poel will want to make his rainbow jersey shine. And I don't expect Wout to be at the level of last season. I would be surprised if he gets off to a good start again," he concludes. Van Aert will return to the field in Essen on the 9th of December, and the two will face off on a few occasions throughout the packed Christmas block.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
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CX schedule 🇧🇪 Wout van Aert: ✅ Essen (09/12) ✅ Mol (22/12) ✅ Antwerpen (23/12) ✅ Asper-Gavere (26/12) ✅ Heusden-Zolder (27/12) ✅ Hulst (30/12) ✅ Baal (01/01) ✅ Koksijde (04/01)
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