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Follow us on GoogleIt is not yet 100 percent certain that Wout van Aert will compete at the Cyclocross World Championships in Ostend in January. The Belgian rider from Visma | Lease a Bike has already indicated that he is interested in competing in the World Championships in early 2027, but national team coach Angelo De Clercq has not yet received confirmation regarding his intended team leader’s schedule.
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Van Aert will return to competition, but how many cyclocross races will he compete in?
Van Aert will release his cyclocross schedule soon
According to HLN, we’ll know fairly soon when Van Aert will kick off his cyclocross season. The schedule is currently being worked out, though a start in November would normally not be an option anyway. Ruddervoorde hopes to welcome him to the Superprestige on December 6.
" No decision has been made yet. I'd say the odds are fifty-fifty," according to the organisers of that cyclocross race. Van Aert will be training with Visma | Lease a Bike in Spain during the second week of December, so he won't be back in the field until the end of the year.
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Van Aert could return to cyclocross in Antwerp
According to the Belgians, the Scheldecross in Antwerp and/or the Duinencross in Koksijde are options on December 19 and 20, before the Christmas break begins in earnest.
De Clercq is looking forward to Van Aert’s arrival, as he’ll once again have to find a balance between cyclocross and road racing.
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Wout van Aert
Van Aert needs the World Cup and to get in shape
How many cyclocross races he will compete in—and whether the World Championships in Ostend will be part of that schedule—is still an open question for the national team coach.
“The World Championships aren’t a done deal yet,” he emphasises. Van Aert won’t make a final decision about January until after the busy end-of-year period.
Because Van Aert will only go to the World Championships if he can win there. And to make that happen, Van Aert will definitely have to compete in some cyclocross races in the weeks leading up to it.
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Van Aert could compete in 4 cyclocross races
The Belgian is ranked 62nd in the UCI rankings, so a spot in the top 16 of the World Cup is the fastest route to a starting position in row 1 or 2.
De Clercq therefore believes that Van Aert will compete in “at least four” World Cup races. “Wout is wise enough to realize that he also needs to be in shape to compete—leaving Mathieu van der Poel out of the equation for now—with Thibau Nys, Tibor del Grosso, and the rest.”
"It makes sense that he's giving himself the time he needs to build up his game."
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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