Wout van Aert’s administration are nonetheless not ruling out that the Belgian’s much-anticipated subsequent cyclocross duel towards Mathieu van der Poel on Friday at Loenhout will go forward regardless of Van Aert cancelling his first race of the 2024-25 season on Monday due to sickness.
Van Aert had been anticipated to make his 2024 cyclocross debut at Mol on Monday the place Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) stormed to a second victory in as many days, however the Belgian was a DNS due to abdomen ‘flu.
Nevertheless, the following conflict between the 2 high names within the speciality, on the Actual Cross at Loenhout, doesn’t seem like at risk regardless of Van Aert getting sick, Belgian and Dutch media reported Monday.
“The sickness took maintain [on Saturday] and Wout felt actually unhealthy,” Van Aert’s supervisor Jef Van Den Bosch advised Het Laatste Nieuws on Monday. “There was nothing he may do.”
“[But] it is now a matter of recovering and taking it day-to-day.”
In keeping with Wielerflits, his commerce crew Visma-Lease a Bike sounded cautiously optimistic, with sports activities director Jan Boven telling the Dutch web site “We do not know way more than what we introduced yesterday [Sunday]. Solely that he awakened this morning feeling moderately nicely. [He’s] definitely higher than the day earlier than, it is now a matter of recovering.”
Van Aert has had some vital setbacks over the past yr due to crashes and accidents, and Boven admitted that “He was actually trying ahead to it [racing].”
“It’s a must to put these plans on maintain, however while you’ve been sick for an entire day, you already know that there is not any different choice.”
Whereas Boven dominated out the concept Van Aert would possibly add extra races to his program because of the sickness, previous to Friday’s conflict, arch-rival Van der Poel could have had one other alternative to go for a win, on December 26 within the second spherical of the World Cup collection, at Gavere, Belgium. Fairly aside from Van der Poel’s present high type, after triumphing within the final two editions of the Gavere race and 4 instances since 2016 it nearly goes with out saying the reigning cyclocross World Champion would be the high favorite on Thursday.
