“The starting point was to enjoy ourselves – now we go for the podium”: Visma DS content with Wout van Aert’s seventh in Antwerp return

A seventh place on paper, but plenty of encouragement beneath the surface. That was the clear message from Team Visma | Lease a Bike sports director Jan Boven following Wout van Aert’s cyclocross return at World Cup Antwerp.

Speaking to Sporza after the race, Boven made it clear that the result itself mattered less than the signs Van Aert showed on his first major outing of the winter.

“The starting point was to enjoy ourselves and to build rhythm. That worked,” Boven said. “Now we go for the podium. Let’s grow from race to race.”

Van Aert’s race was shaped by a puncture at a key moment, just as the battle for the podium was taking form. Until then, the Belgian had been firmly in contention behind a dominant Mathieu van der Poel, who rode away to a clear solo victory. “We saw a good cyclo cross race,” Boven reflected. “Mathieu was strong and fast, and behind him we saw a really good battle.”

“For us, it stayed exciting until a puncture spoiled things. Wout fought his way back to within five seconds of the podium, but that was just a bit too much. In the end, I think his seventh place is a fair result.”

Despite the setback, the Visma camp left Antwerp with a positive feeling about Van Aert’s physical condition and trajectory.

“After two minutes, Wout already felt that he was riding on the limit,” Boven explained. “But that gives confidence for what’s to come.”

According to the sports director, the nature of the race underlined that Van Aert is already close to competitive shape, even if sharpness and race rhythm are still being rebuilt.

“A puncture is something you just can’t quite make up for,” Boven added. “But this is a good step towards the next races.”

There will be little time to wait for the next test. Van Aert lines up again on Monday in Hofstade for his second race of the season, with expectations now subtly shifting.

The message from the team is clear. Antwerp was about re entry and feeling the race intensity again. What comes next is about progression.

“First, we go for the podium,” Boven said. “Let’s grow from race to race.”