"I give Wout a 10% chance and Mathieu still a 90% chance" - Visma coach Mathieu Heijboer tempers CX World Championship expectations for Van Aert

Wout van Aert has been confirmed for the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships and by most accounts, immediately settles into the position of Mathieu van der Poel's most likely challenger for the Rainbow Jersey in Lievin.

According to Team Visma | Lease a Bike coach Mathieu Heijboer though, the fact Van Aert's trip to France was a last minute decision means it's Van der Poel who remains the overwhelming favourite for the World Championship title. "At the beginning of the season, the World Championship was not taken into account. In mid-January, the idea started to play on his mind," Heijboer explains in conversation with Sporza. "It's not like plans are absolutely not allowed to change with us. But you have to make a well-considered decision together. After all, it was a well-considered decision not to put the World Championship on his calendar. So you weigh up the pros and cons. Then it is important to choose the best for Wout."

As mentioned though, given Van Aert hasn't spent the whole winter preparing for the World Championship, the Belgian isn't in the best position to challenge Van der Poel according to the Visma coach. "The big difference: if we had planned the World Championship from the start of the season, we would have worked towards it with a completely different mindset. Then there would certainly have been a physical build-up towards that peak. That is not the case now," says Heijboer. "Wout now has a great event to look forward to. It's extra fun for him, because he had to miss a lot due to injuries. But it shouldn't have any disadvantages for his preparation."

"So we have made clear agreements that a very good or very bad result doesn't really matter. We are not going to schedule any cross-training now. And Monday morning everything will be about spring on the road again," Heijboer concludes, giving a brutally honest assessment of his rider's chances of taking the Rainbow Jersey next weekend. "I give Wout a 10% chance and Mathieu still a 90% chance."