Wout van Aert intends to 'make it difficult' for Mathieu van der Poel at CX World Championships: "Here I am with no pressure. A blissful feeling"
Cyclocross
A mouth-watering prospect awaits cycling fans this Sunday in Lievin as Wout van Aert challenges Mathieu van der Poel for the Rainbow Jersey at the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships. Given his decision to start was a last minute one though, Van Aert himself insists there is no pressure on his shoulders.
"A World Championship remains a World Championship and you never know what will happen," assesses the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star in quotes collected by Sporza from the Belgian team's pre-race press conference. "I felt that the five crosses I had ridden were quickly over. On Sunday, I followed my gut, picked up the phone and now here I am. With no pressure. A blissful feeling."
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Although Van der Poel remains the heavy favourite, unbeaten this winter in his race, the decision of Van Aert to start does add the prospect of a little drama. "I feel that a lot of people drew hope from last Saturday's cross in Maasmechelen," says the Belgian. "But in the end, Mathieu showed last weekend that he is absolutely strong. I'm definitely not starting Sunday with the idea that I'm going to be world champion. But I do want to make it difficult for Van der Poel and take advantage of the small chance there is. Although I do realise that a lot has to go with it."
Given he's starting on the 4th row though, Van Aert does have a bit more work to do to get to the front than some of his Belgian teammates. "I hope common sense prevails: if I can gain a spot on the 1st lap by a Belgian crossing my path, I would appreciate it very much. With that, nobody loses their chances and I have a better chance to compete," says Van Aert on the subject. "There's a reason I'm on the 4th row of the grid. It's because I haven't ridden many results this winter. It's up to me to fight my way to the front."
Finally, Van Aert admitted that not all within Team Visma | Lease a Bike are totally convinced that starting the World Championship was the best idea. "My coach Mathieu Heijboer is actually very afraid that I will get sidetracked! Because on Monday I have to train for six hours," laughs Van Aert. "I am convinced, though, that this World Championship will make me better in my preparation for the classics."
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Choose your fighter! 👀
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 1, 2025
Riders have picked their favourites for the Elite races of the 2025 UCI #CycloCross World Championships! 🌈
What's yours? 🫵#Lievin2025 pic.twitter.com/3HpjQlCd1l
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- I do have a problem with a constant drama queen, always whining after each and every race, and often faking attitudes and emotions. It has nothing to do with women speaking. Your comment is irrelevant. She is only trying to talk crap about her former team at every possible occasion.Weekiwachee06-03-2025
- Don’t say she was right but I prefer people who speak their mind and don’t fake, gender plays no role, character is what matters and is distinctly lacking in many places. After, we can discuss whatever is good and bad but there has be something to start with for that :-)Mistermaumau06-03-2025
- If you're a #1 favourite you kind of have to act like it. Since you have the most to lose if the break wins, you should put someone to pace. Even if you don't, they will be dropped at the first real acceleration on the bergs anywayvappaxbipmv06-03-2025
- A rider can’t cancel a race. He can protest 9 Or refuse to ride, but the race could’ve continued without him. This whole thing seems silly.Evan06-03-2025
- More like : If Tadej Pogacar said that, everyone would take notice! Stop picking on Demi. Have you got a problem with women who speak up?VgnRider06-03-2025
- Obese is more than just slightly overweight ;-) Football & Rugby have social implications that make them politically interesting, cricket, tennis and a few others are kept for more subtle reasons which we will call « tradition ». Road cycling in the UK is a relatively niche, foreign, recent concept, so easy to drop out of a list of priorities. If every sport got automatic right to « public « TV, there’d be little time for anything else. Am pretty sure if you asked the GP to list their preferred choices cycling would not even make the top 10, certainly under darts & snooker, athletics. There are no big British talents or rising stars participating (and Pidcock is too precarious for media marketing) so at the moment it can’t even be used to whip up national pride. It will come back once a new star is announced, or England decides (for everyone) they want to make a comeback in the EU ;-)Mistermaumau06-03-2025
- It’s possible that’s the max in the category for damage to the sport which so far is the only they can prove, doesn’t mean he won’t get multiple fines if he was up to doubeyous dealings.Mistermaumau06-03-2025
- "not for the government to intervene" until it's something that really matters..like Football. There's threat that the 6 nations Rugby could be behind the TNT Paywall by next year too, interventions are already underway and there's a furore in Scotland because the SNP "government" won't push to have international soccer on Free to Air, for them and the great unwashed thats a vote loser. If Governments have a sport portfolio making sport available for people to see on Free to Air should be a basic requirementslappers6606-03-2025
- With a stage to go, he wanted to secure his only win in 10 years as a pro. It would be interesting to hear Adam Hansen's thoughts on this one.Suipedali06-03-2025
- Will he hold on to his only pro win in 10 years? I'm all for rider safety, but sometimes it seems to go a little too far. It would be interesting to hear Adam Hansen's thoughts on this one.Suipedali06-03-2025