“We always make a purely sporting consideration, never a financial one" - Wout van Aert's manager explains his cyclocross calendar

Wout van Aert's cyclocross calendar has been confirmed for the upcoming winter with a number of exciting clashes to be expected. But how does the Belgian decide which races he takes part in?

Van Aert's manager, Jef Van den Bosch has explained this in an interview with Wielerflits, revealing that money is never the leading factor when choosing races. “Wout makes his program with his trainer and the team, based on the entire year that is coming up. How should we plan everything? How does the cross fit into the story of the ambitions in the spring? And what about the Olympic Games and the World Cup? They create a picture of the big goals and from there they start to complete the puzzle," he explains. "With that plan in mind, I will then talk to all the organizers.”

“We always make a purely sporting consideration, never a financial one. An example: why is the Hulst cross now on Wout's program and not in previous years? There is no specific reason for that. We only look at the sporting aspect and what is best for Wout,” continues Van den Bosch. “If it were about money, Wout would have to ride every cross. If you really take the financial output into account, you would see a completely different program. But that is completely out of the question, because the cross is only a small part of the planning of the entire season. Once again, the sporty aspect takes precedence.”

The end product this year has revealed a much-reduced calendar for van Aert with both the Belgian National Championships and the Cyclocross World Championships notable by their absence. “It is not possible to please everyone, that has been the case for years and that is logical. Sometimes there is one party that is more disappointed than another. We do everything possible to accommodate them, but never at the expense of Wout," concludes Van den Bosch.