Van Aert's cyclocross preparations 'a world of difference' from last season

In an interview with Wielerflits, Van Aert’s coach Mathieu Heijboer confirmed the schedule is designed to support Van Aert's spring classics campaign while allowing him to pursue his passion for the discipline in which he is a former three-time elite World Champion.

"The goal of the cyclocross campaign is primarily to have fun and to give something back to the fans. It's still Wout's great passion," said Heijboer, Head of Performance at Visma | Lease a Bike to Wielerflits. "In this case, the Belgian championships have a clear end goal. Winning a jersey is very motivating."

The Belgian star enters this cyclocross season in significantly better shape than last year. After ending his road season early, Van Aert has already completed six weeks of training without physical problems, a stark contrast to twelve months ago, when the Belgian had struggled with the impacts of his Vuelta a España crash and illness.

"At the end of November, we didn't even know if cyclocross was even feasible, because Wout couldn't even run yet. Now he's been training for six weeks, and there are no physical problems, which is a world of difference," said Heijboer. "So we can expect much more in terms of fitness."

While the World Championships in Hulst remain a possibility, Heijboer indicated it's not currently in their plans. "I'm not completely saying no to the World Championships. As far as we're concerned, the door is ajar. We'll make that decision later," he said.

Van Aert's primary focus remains on closing the gap to rivals Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel in the spring classics. The last time that Van Aert won a race, beating both Pogačar and Van der Poel in the process, was the E3 Saxo Classic in 2023, when the Belgian came out on top in a three-man sprint to the line in Harelbeke.

"Of course, we still believe that. Mathieu and Tadej are obviously enormous talents who can and want to win wherever they start. But we see plenty of opportunities to rediscover the best version of Wout," Heijboer said. “Are we saying it's easy? No. But we do believe very strongly. It would be crazy if it weren't."

Heijboer emphasised how Van Aert racing both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in 2025, the first season in his career where he finished two Grand Tours in one season, contributed to his return to form after an injury-ridden 2024.

“That was also the reason we let him race a full season. Our analyses show that riders don't immediately bounce back when they miss longer periods of competition."

While the team hopes Van Aert's cyclocross form translates to competitiveness against Van der Poel this winter, Heijboer cautioned against drawing conclusions about the spring season based on cyclocross results. 

"Wout will be further along than last year. Hopefully, that means he's competitive with Mathieu van der Poel. That would be a good sign. But even if things go really well, that doesn't necessarily mean a great spring will follow," said Heijboer.

In total, Van Aert and Van der Poel will come head-to-head five times across this winter, with the first meeting at the World Cup round in Antwerp on December 20, with the final encounter set to be at the World Cup round in Zonhoven on January 4.

In terms of the Belgian's road schedule, Heijboer confirmed to Wielerflits that Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo are possibilities, alongside the cobbled Classics, two races that Van Aert is a former winner of. The Belgian has skipped both of the Italian races over the past two seasons.