Wout Van Aert has made a shock and final minute resolution to race subsequent Sunday’s cyclocross World Championship in Liévin, in northern France, and so a battle with everlasting rival Mathieu van der Poel is instantly again on.
Belgian nationwide coach Angelo De Clercq had solely named eight of his 9 riders for the elite males’s race. Now Van Aert has been confirmed as the ultimate rider within the workforce after a late change of thoughts.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Wout Van Aert will compete within the cyclo-cross World Championships this Sunday!” Van Aert’s Visma-Lease a Bike workforce introduced on Sunday.
“Motivated by his ardour for the game, Wout expressed his robust want to be on the beginning line. After cautious discussions, we totally help his resolution and may’t wait to look at him give it his all on the worlds.”
Van Aert had all the time dominated out using the cyclocross World Championship and has executed simply 4 cyclocross races this winter as he prioritised his restoration from the knee damage he suffered on the Vuelta a España and his 2025 Classics marketing campaign.
He briefly went shoulder to shoulder with van der Poel throughout Saturday’s Maasmechelen World Cup race and the 2 will now conflict once more in France.
Van der Poel missed some cyclocross races after fracturing a rib in the course of the holidays however is the logical favorite to win a document equalling seventh world title. Van Aert will change for his fourth title, hoping the shape he has rebuilt throughout his winter coaching is sufficient to make him aggressive.
Van Aert is because of begin his highway racing season on the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Inside on February 17 after which experience the Volta ao Algarve (Feb 19-23), earlier than concentrating on Omloop het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on the primary weekend of March.
“I’m feeling good, and my winter has gone nicely,” Van Aert stated.
“The World Championships solely not too long ago got here into my thoughts and after Maasmechelen the Belgian workforce coach, my coach at Visma-Lease a Bike and I made a decision to compete.
“I’m excited to start out in such a good looking race, and I feel that this further enhance is doing me good within the lead-up to greater objectives on the highway.”
The Head of Efficiency at Visma-Lease a Bike Mathieu Heijboer stated: “Wout is a real cyclocross fanatic. He indicated that he needed to race. We mentioned it, weighed every part collectively, and as a workforce, we totally help Wout.”
