Another badly timed illness for Wout van Aert? Visma star causes concern ahead of imminent cyclocross comeback

Wout van Aert’s winter plans have prompted fresh concern just as he closes in on his long-awaited return to cyclocross. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider briefly stepped away from training this week, an interruption that comes at a sensitive moment in his preparations.

Only later did Van Aert give a small glimpse into the pause, noting on Strava that he was turning the pedals again after several days away from the bike — a short indoor ride on Rouvy marking his return.

He added a thermometer-face emoji to the update, which inevitably fuelled speculation among fans, though he did not explicitly state he had been ill.

Van Aert completed a 23.9km virtual time trial on Rouvy’s West Coast Time Trial route in South Africa, a controlled effort that marked his first spins since the brief break.

The timing alone will raise eyebrows among fans, especially given the echoes of last year. In 2025, Van Aert’s Giro d’Italia and Tour de France preparations were both disrupted by illness, ultimately delaying his top form for key targets.

This latest setback arrives with his first cyclocross race pencilled in for 20 December in Antwerp, where Mathieu van der Poel is also expected to start. Van Aert has been open in recent years about using cyclocross as a springboard towards the early spring, meaning every training day counts.

Missing several sessions is far from catastrophic at this point in winter, but it does chip away at the smooth momentum he had hoped for after a stop-start 2025 campaign.

There is no indication that the setback is serious, and the Belgian appears to be easing back into routine without issue. But after a season in which small interruptions ballooned into bigger frustrations, even a brief pause naturally sparks scrutiny.

For now, Van Aert is back riding, and the Antwerp cyclocross opener remains firmly on the schedule. Whether this latest blip fades into irrelevance or becomes another early-season talking point will become clear soon enough.