"There is still room for improvement" - Wout van Aert's DS assures that Belgian has not hit peak form ahead of World Championships

Wout van Aert is, at the time being, focused on getting the rainbow jersey in the cyclocross World Championships. Many argue he's on the right track and is the man to beat, and within Jumbo-Visma the feeling is the same.

'That is to be hoped, yes. Wout is very good now, but in the end he is still preparing for the spring classics on the road," team DS Lars Boven told In de Leiderstrui. "So he can still take a step. I'm talking about the condition, the weight, the explosiveness: the whole package. There is still room for improvement."

Van Aert has been having a very strong campaign throughout the winter, finishing no lower than second on all of his 11 appearances off-road so far, winning 8 out them. More importantly however his form seems to be incredibly high and he's beaten Mathieu van der Poel on several occasions, with large gaps in the sandy courses of Koksijde and Zonhoven.

Van der Poel's back issues may turn the tide even further for van Aert, however the Dutchman has talked about how he believes that won't be the case. This weekend in Benidorm the two will face on a new track in what should be the final head-to-head before Hoogerheide.