Van Aert & Van der Poel's extended cyclocross absence "a big middle finger to the UCI" according to Bart Wellens

The cyclocross season is well underway with the likes of Eli Iserbyt, Thibau Nys and others putting in some star performances already this winter. When, where or even if the discipline's biggest names will make their appearance remains to be seen though.

“They will never be able to do many races. If they start in the weekend of Hulst, then you will quickly reach the championships. Especially when you know that most teams do an extra training camp in January," former cyclocross world champion Bart Wellens assesses of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel's cyclocross uncertainty this winter to Wielerflits. "I think that is a bit of a shame, but they are always welcome in our sport. We also need them to some extent.”

“By the way, if they are going to do so little cyclo-cross – or say: Van der Poel only does the World Championships – then he is simply doing the UCI a disservice," the 2003 and 2004 world champion continues. "They have made the World Cup so compact especially for those two. If someone like Van der Poel ignores a large part of those cyclocrosses, then that is a big middle finger to the UCI."

"That is his full right, and it is impressive that you are that top rider who can even say: I am not going to do cyclocross this year. Then I fully support that. But they have now focused the entire season on them. If they then say: 'we are not coming', then you have to rely on your new top riders like Thibau Nys. And they have now put them at a disadvantage with the new World Cup calendar," Wellens adds. "They are already tired at the start of the World Championships, and even fresh it would have been difficult to beat men like Van der Poel or Van Aert in that championship.”