Van Aert's potential World Championship bid

Wout van Aert, a 31-year-old Belgian cyclist from the team Visma | Lease a Bike, is considering competing in the cyclo-cross World Championships to be held in Ostend, Belgium, on January 31, 2025. His winter racing schedule has not yet been confirmed, but the event is one of the possible goals he is considering.

Training and fitness evaluation

During an event organized by his sponsor Ethias and Voka Limburg in Hasselt on October 29, Van Aert said he had only returned to training for a week and wanted to assess his physical condition further. He noted that he needs three weeks to evaluate his fitness and determine the appropriate training volume before being ready for competition.

Team training camp and past experience

Van Aert will remain in Belgium until his team’s training camp in Spain, which is set to begin on December 8. He finished second in the 2021 World Championships in Ostend, which took place without spectators due to the pandemic. He expressed a desire to compete in front of a large home crowd this time, saying that a world championship in his country is more appealing than one held elsewhere.

Balancing ambitions and preparation

Van Aert emphasized the importance of finding the right balance between his cyclo-cross ambitions and his road racing season, for which he has significant goals. He stressed the need to wait long enough and make a well-considered decision before committing to competition.