A new career? 'Squirrel' Wout van Aert is a real rock star in The Masked Singer: "I thought to myself, what the f*ck?"

Last week, the show introduced a man in a squirrel costume, sparking rumors: could Van Aert be behind the mask? This Friday night, it was confirmed. The unmasked cyclist performed Blur’s Song 2 for an ecstatic audience. Whether the Belgian is good enough for a career change is up to you to decide. Johan Vansummeren and Jelle Vanendert, who previously criticized the superstar, might not be thrilled by this move. Interestingly, Van Aert isn’t the first cyclist to appear on The Masked Singer. In the Colombian version, Nairo Quintana wowed the crowd dressed as a chameleon.

On stage, the Visma | Lease a Bike team leader explained why he chose to participate in the show. “First of all, I was invited. It was possible because they were looking for a special guest, as a full season wouldn’t fit my race schedule. I was excited and nervous at the same time, which was exactly what made me want to do it. I felt it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. You don’t just get invited to something like this. If I was ever asked, I thought I’d at least consider it. It happened a bit sooner than expected. When I saw I was going to be a squirrel, I looked at my costume and thought: What the f*ck?”

In Behind The Mask, available on VTM GO, Van Aert explained that he had dropped a few hints here and there for the curious audience. Those following him on Strava might have picked up on them. “In one of my training rides, I added a little squirrel emoji. I thought it was funny.” That was a few months ago, but he also gave a more recent hint. “A couple of weeks before it aired on TV, I went for my first outdoor ride again after the injuries I sustained in the Vuelta. I captioned it with ‘Woo-hoo.’”