"I now get a lot more pleasure from the cross than before" - Wout van Aert on changes of approach on the eve of cyclocross debut
Cyclocross
Wout van Aert is on the verge of beginning his cyclocross season, as he takes on the World Cup in Antwerp this Sunday as his first event of the winter, following an illness which had him postpone his original plans.
"Sunday feels like the right time to start again. I've watched the last races on television and it's starting to itch again," the Jumbo-Visma rider said in a press release. “I am not involved in that myself. Last year I was immediately good and now people expect the same. What I did last year should not be considered normal.”
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Last year the Belgian started his season in the Superprestige Boom - which will be taking place today. He won straight from day one, and Mathieu van der Poel has matched that achievement last week in Hulst. The two will battle alongside Tom Pidcock who is on rising form, and the likes of Eli Iserbyt, Laurens Sweeck and Michael Vanthourenhout who are fighting for the World Cup - alongside Lars van der Haar who sits behind.
“But I don't put pressure on myself for a cross. Those years are over," van Aert admits. Having his focus in the Hoogerheide World Championships mean that most of the December events will have the purpose of having him back in race rhythm and performing at his best level. "I now get a lot more pleasure from the cross than before when the pressure to win was still very high," he concluded.

Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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