Although the winter cyclo-cross season is in full swing, the big stars of the discipline have still not returned. However, it is imminent for Wout Van Aert. The Belgian will start his season on December 23, at Molfor a round of Telenet Super prestige. A few days away from getting on his bike again, “WVA” spoke at length to his sponsor Red Bull. His year 2024, his preparation, his expectations and the long season that awaits him, the native of Herantals does not shy away from anything.
Video – Van Aert signs a lifetime contract with Visma | Lease a Bike
A disrupted preparation after a nightmarish end to the season
Despite his bronze medal during the Paris Olympic Games or great successes on The Return where he will have brought back three stage victories, Wout Van Aert had a mixed season following numerous falls and injuries. “A in the fall, after my fall during La Vuelta, I had a lot more difficulty finding motivation again” explained the former cyclo-cross world champion. “Taking time for myself and spending time with family really helped me get through that.” After a long time away from the bike, the rider’s preparation for the Visma | Lease a Bike was largely turned upside down andcertainly turned out differently than I had hoped.” he clarified. “I had to focus on my rehabilitation for a long time. Even today I am still working on making my right leg as strong as my left leg. This of course means that we have less time to train on aspects specific to cyclo-cross. So it’s a question mark as to how competitive I will be, but there’s no doubt that I’m looking forward to it.”
The Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the sights
At the dawn of what will be his 11th cyclo-cross season, the 30-year-old Belgian maintains an extraordinary appetite and wants to perform once again, on the plowed roads as well as on the road. “Sometimes you look back at your career and you’re really proud of what you’ve accomplished, but in reality you always look ahead and focus on the races you still dream of winning. For me, it is the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, which remain my absolute main goals. Because of the setbacks I’ve had, it’s realistic to aim for my best in the spring, but maybe not right away. The main thing is to stay true to yourself, know what your goals are and how you approach certain races. As long as I have that in mind, I don’t have to worry about public opinion.”
The cyclo-cross program of Van Aert:
– December 23: Mol – Zilvermeercross (Belgique) / Telenet Superprestige
– December 27: Loenhout – Azencross (Belgique) / Exact Cross
– January 4: Gullegem (Belgique) / Telenet Superprestige
– January 5: Dendermonde (Belgium) / World Cup
– January 19: Benidorm (Spain) / World Cup
– January 25: Maasmechelen (Belgium) / World Cup
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