Niels Albert: "I was shocked when I heard Wout van Aert's winter program"
Cyclocross
Wout van Aert will soon be back in cyclocross action. Only racing six races though, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star's much-reduced calendar has left some notable names in the sport disappointed.
"I was shocked when I heard Wout van Aert's winter program," admits cyclocross legend Niels Albert in his column for HLN, surprised at just how few races the Belgian superstar will be appearing at over the coming months. "Six races, that is very little. Even less than I had expected."
Alongside Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock, Van Aert forms part of the 'Big 3' of cyclocross. Multi-discipline stars who swap the road for the field every winter, usually with much success. As Van Aert announces a calendar of only six races and with the festive period approaching and still much uncertainty surrounding the programmes of Van der Poel and Pidcock, the presence of the 'Big 3' is set to be much more limited this winter.
"Wout says that the content of this campaign is one out of love for the sport," Albert continues. "Of course he will also collect nice starting fees and the choice between certain races depended on supply and demand, but the fact that he only rides six races proves that money has not taken the upper hand."
Albert also doesn't seem to have fully given up hope of Van Aert extending his winter. "With Benidorm and Maasmechelen, he will ride one World Cup round in the two weekends before the World Championship,” he concludes, asking the question of a possible Rainbow Jersey challenge. “Is there a chance that, depending on his feeling in those two races, he will give the green light for the World Championships after the second team training camp? The World Championships are taking place in Northern France and that offers opportunities.”
⏱️ You've all been waiting for this ...
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) December 6, 2024
Here's Wout cyclocross calendar pic.twitter.com/fDRBqj1hYr
I am shocked by this kind of statement, the guy had crashes, injuries and hezlth issues, what do you expect him to do, dive straight back into the deep end unprepared? Also before passing judgement on the « few » races some stars will do, some of these guys should go and do a full road season at the same level. Easy to say when you only do 4-5 months of short cyclocross races every year.
Hmmm... As every winter I'm waiting for battles between Matje-Woutje-Pidders. Wout at least said that he'll start a few times. Pidcock probably won't start at all. And MvDP... I still have a hope. MvDP! Please make this winter great again!
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- Watch out Urska, I think he’s taken a liking to MVDP ;-)Mistermaumau04-04-2025
- Totally!Mistermaumau04-04-2025
- It will be interesting to see how he goes on the cobbles, so far he's looking very strong.awp04-04-2025
- if there is an actual weakness in wout even when completely healthy, it’s that he’s in his head too often. this has been pointed out many times by much more acute observers of cycling than ME, certainly. it may be that he’s been like this since he was a little kid. we are who we are. or that he was shaped by having faced van der poel SOOO many times. mvdp has zero second thoughts. he wastes no time at all on doubt. that has, in the past, led him to do some pretty insane things and make mistakes that wout would never have committed. but it also makes him a killer. you can see wout’s split seconds of doubt and hesitation everywhere in their head to head battles. those hesitations spill over into other races at times like dwars, when doubt creeps in. i believe that currently he is still coming back from physical problems due to injuries, but even when he’s full strength the mental game is an area of potential concern, AND potential improvement.OCexile03-04-2025
- Not only the public, just about every analyst and commentator had been piling it on. Under the circumstances I’d even say he’s showing real character. Not sure likeable Tadej would manage as well during a longer rough patch.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Took a while but we finally have a more nuanced analysis.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- If I remember right, it was those same hungry journalists selling us a different story less than a year ago about the bleak future of Dutch (men’s) cycling with no possible successor for MVDP ;-)Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Good, hopefully Jonas goes also so we get a nice duelvappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- right? i think it’s hungry journalists that fuel this, and i understand the jam they can be in trying to create stories, but you’d hate to think ANYONE is failing to appreciate how RARE someone like van der poel is (or how LUCKY we are to have both mvdp and pog racing at the same time). a little perspective is a good thing…OCexile03-04-2025
- Anyone know how long that 213km ride took? Coz without that the segment speeds don’t reveal anything surprising. If it took him Less than 5h ok but otherwise it was just some interval training for him.Jumpyjohn03-04-2025