Van Aert "deep into the red" after upping the intensity: tons of cross-prep for Visma-ace, alongside new teammate

When will Wout van Aert return to cyclocross? It’s the question burning on the lips of many cycling fans. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider remains tight-lipped for now, but his legs are already speaking loud and clear. With some serious cross-training sessions, Van Aert is visibly shifting gears.

Already near the end of his road season the question began popping up: when will Van Aert be back in the field? Holidays were the only thing on his mind at the time, but he did admit it wasn’t impossible he’d return earlier than last winter. Back then he restarted in Loenhout on 27 December. Yet now, halfway through November, the training hours are already piling up.

One of the clearest signs? He appears in a new video posted by Daan Soete. The cross and gravel specialist is one of Van Aert’s oldest friends. They’ve been best mates since they were nine years old. "We lived close to each other, and there weren’t many young boys doing cyclocross in the region," Soete said earlier this year. "we’d meet up to build cross courses. Either at my place or at his.”

This week, the two went on another adventure together. Joined by former pro cyclist Jan Bakelants, the trio produced some beautiful images in the forests around Herentals. Soete himself hasn’t appeared in a cyclocross race yet this season, but he’s encouraging Bakelants to give it a try. “Who wants to see Jan Bakelants in the field?” he asks, to which Van Aert responds with a raised hand.

Not long after that, Van Aert added another sizeable block of training kilometres. This Wednesday it was time for another ride – but not with a childhood friend. Timo Kielich joined him this time. The Belgian left Alpecin–Deceuninck this season and is swapping Mathieu van der Poel for Wout van Aert, riding for Visma | Lease a Bike from next year.

They certainly knew each other already, but a proper training session together was overdue. The duo completed almost 87 kilometres, and it definitely wasn’t just an easy spin. According to Strava data, Kielich went “deep into the red” (quote – verify-), while Van Aert himself noted an elevated heart rate. Intensity levels are clearly rising as winter approaches — that much is certain.