Three-time world champion Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) is to make his cyclocross season debut after the completion of Visma-Lease a Bike’s first winter coaching camp on the nineteenth of December.
The Belgian has been recovering from an harm after a critical crash on the Vuelta a España on September third compelled him to finish his street season early and left him unable to stroll for a time frame.
Van Aert had gained three levels of the Vuelta in a sensational return to type after a season hindered by harm. He crashed out on stage 16 whereas main the factors classification.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider returned to coaching on the street on October 4th and now seems prepared to organize for a comeback to competitors with a coaching camp in Spain arising.
“Wout is now leaving for Spain for 2 and a half weeks to coach,” Visma-Lease a Bike coach Jan Boven advised Wielerflits.
“After that we’ll sit down collectively, however he’ll solely begin once more after the primary group coaching camp that ends on December 19.”
Van Aert’s actual date for his racing return is undetermined. Occasions instantly following the Visma-Lease a Bike coaching camp embody the UCI World Cup in Hulst on 21 December, the World Cup in Zonhoven on 22 December and the World Cup in Gavere on 26 December.
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Final season, Van Aert started his cyclocross marketing campaign in Essen on the ninth of December, round two weeks sooner than his proposed begin this season. The same schedule was thought-about by Van Aert and the group for this yr, however proved logistically impractical.
“[Starting in Essen] was additionally an choice now, however then you definately solely have the races in Dublin and Sardinia. These are lengthy journeys for one race,” Boven mentioned.
The 30-year-old has not gained the UCI cyclocross world championship since 2018, the final of his three consecutive victories. Boven didn’t verify whether or not the world championships have been on Van Aert’s schedule for this season, nor did he say what number of cyclocross races Van Aert would compete in.
In the meantime, the Belgian’s huge rival, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), has but to substantiate whether or not or not he’ll participate within the cyclocross marketing campaign this time round.
“Will I experience cyclocross? Perhaps. If I knew, I’d inform you,” Van der Poel mentioned just a few weeks in the past, based on Wielerflits. “We nonetheless need to resolve whether or not or not I’ll experience cyclocross this winter. I’m going on vacation first, then we’ll see.”
The Dutchman, winner of six cyclocross rainbow jerseys, not too long ago mentioned that his focus for the following yr could possibly be on the mountain bike and has steered that he might skip the 2025 Tour de France with the intention to fulfil his goal to win the XCO world title.
Final yr, Van der Poel gained a record-equalling sixth world cyclocross title. Afterwards he advised Eurosport that he deliberate to set the report outright in 2025 by profitable a seventh.
“I’m getting near doing one thing historic and also you get remembered by these sorts of issues,” Van der Poel mentioned.
“It is going to be a objective subsequent yr to attempt to break the report. It’s my first ardour.”
