Wout van Aert's mental coach after fourth silver medal at World Championships: "Those second places will not become a frustration in his career"

Wout van Aert has, with yesterday's World Championships race, taken his fourth silver medal without winning on the road elite category. A very difficult record for anyone, whilst still being incredibly impressive. His mental coach argues that this will not hamper him from performing just as well in the future.

"Wout is of course a very level-headed and analytically strong person. When he looks at the last World Championship, he will know that Mathieu was once again without measure," Rudy Heylen told In de Leiderstrui. "And how is Wout during the race? That's a boy who won't count, but just keeps giving the full pound until he's over the line. He needs to keep that strength. It is about your own effort and investment. Is Mathieu stronger? Then it is."

A rider of extreme versatility, van Aert has found himself as a main favourite or a big favourite to win the rainbow jersey now every year since 2020, in every occasion he's ridden both the road race and the time-trial. The road race saw him finish second in Imola back in 2020 where the roads were tougher, and when it was more tactical in Leuven he rode to 11th. Last year in Wollongong he was fourth, however in each race he had tremendous exposure. His track record in the spring monuments is very similar with only one win but an extra six podiums, all since 2020.

“Someone following their gut feeling would find it harder and harder after every second place. Because they always start from the past and determine their steps in the future on that basis. Wout has less of that because of his rational nature - and that is one of his big advantages," Heylen believes. "He keeps thinking from the action instead of the story. Hopefully Wout will continue to do so until the last race of his life. Then I don't expect any problems to get over this."

Yesterday van Aert looked again at his best and raced to his strengths ideally, but there was no matching Mathieu van der Poel in the final kilometers as the Dutchman attacked solo and then despite crashing kept boosting his gap further and further as the kilometers go by. After Hoogerheide earlier this year, it is the second consecutive World Championship where he finishes second to the Dutchman.

"It's still a World Championship, isn't it? Wout shouldn't flush that disappointment right away - that's part of the coping process. Once that has taken place, he will be ready for the next race more quickly. Those second places will not become a frustration in his career," he concludes. "Wout realizes that he can practice a wonderful profession. I hope that, despite those second places, he is just as proud of that and will continue to work just as hard."