Van Aert's coach explains why waiting for the final lap could hurt his Worlds chances

Wout van Aert’s coach Mathieu Heijboer is confident that the Belgian has recovered well from his Vuelta a España exploits, both mentally and physically, as he arrived in Montréal on Tuesday ahead of the World Championships on Sunday.

“Mentally, I noticed that Wout was already thinking about the World Championships the day after the Vuelta. Physically, he was quite tired for the first two days and took it easy, but from Wednesday onwards, he switched back to training mode,” Heijboer told Het Laatste Nieuws.

“He is hugely motivated for these Worlds and has recovered well physically, ready to set his sights on Sunday’s road race.”

Van Aert arrived in Canada off the back of a very successful Vuelta where he claimed two stage wins, the points classification, and played a key role in each of Grand Tour debutant Matthew Brennan’s five stage wins.

Sunday’s road race in Canada will mark Van Aert’s return to the Worlds for the first time since 2023 in Glasgow, where he finished second behind eternal rival Mathieu van der Poel. 

In four appearances in the road race, Van Aert has an exceptional track record, finishing second in 2020, 11th in 2021, fourth in 2022 and second in 2023. 

With 2027 in Haute-Savoie set to favour the climbers and 2028 in the UAE likely to be for the sprinters, 2026 marks a major opportunity for Van Aert to seize the rainbow jersey. 

However, Heijboer doesn’t believe that this changes the mindset for the Belgian, who has treated the race like any other major goal, and this will continue into next season also.

“Wout is simply someone who wants to seize every opportunity he can. I notice a tremendous drive in him to be at his best in Montréal, but we’ll see that same drive next year in the build-up to the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and the Tour,” said Heijboer.

“It’s classic Wout to show up for all the big moments and put a lot of other things aside to make that happen.”

Heijboer also explained how Van Aert’s drive to win has only increased following his elusive victory at Paris-Roubaix in the spring.

“There’s no sense of complacency or casualness just because he’s won Roubaix now,” said Heijboer. 

“At the end of his career, it’ll be fantastic to look back on the fact that he won Roubaix at least once, hopefully more, but right now, I just see a very hungry rider who, despite having just come off a Grand Tour, is giving it his all again to put in a strong performance at the World Championships in Montréal.”

In terms of how Sunday’s race could play out, Heijboer suggested that Van Aert will look to avoid waiting for a final lap showdown on the climbs with the more natural climbers.

“We have to be honest: if Wout waits until the final lap and then tries to follow Remco, Seixas, or Del Toro, it’s unrealistic to expect him to contend for the world title,” said Heijboer. 

“If you’re aiming for a sprint, you’re assuming the pace won’t be high on the final lap and that things will come to a standstill at the top of the climb, and I’m not sure that’s realistic."

The Vuelta showcased Van Aert's ability and confidence to go long-range, with both of his stage victories coming from the breakaway, while he also attacked from the flag drop on occasion during the Spanish Grand Tour too. 

If the Belgian is in the front group approaching the uphill rise to the finish on Avenue du Parc, it's not to say he won't also fancy his chances. 

In the eyes of Heijboer, it's all about avoiding a final lap showdown with the likes of Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) on the climbs beforehand. 

“A very closed race, where everyone waits for the final lap, doesn’t favour Wout, or Mathieu van der Poel and many other riders, for that matter, because the uphill effort becomes too demanding for them," said Heijboer.

“I think that kind of scenario only favours three riders: Seixas, Remco, and Del Toro. I expect all the other riders to go on the attack, and I’m sure the Belgian national coach will devise a solid plan for that.”