Guess who’s back? Wout van Aert is nervous but realistic: "This is a whole different challenge"

Van Aert had originally planned to race in Mol on Monday. That meant he would meet Mathieu van der Poel there for the first time this season, but illness threw a wrench in those plans. "It was acute stomach flu, but I recovered quickly. By Monday I could eat normally again, and by Tuesday I was back to normal. The timing was just really bad. But while I was lying on the couch, I realized how much of a shame it was to miss out," he shared.

There may not be trembling knees, but even someone like Van Aert feels a healthy amount of nerves before his first test back. "I’m still nervous, but that’s always the case when you race again after a long break. Not necessarily because of the performance. I don’t have the highest expectations there. But cyclo-cross throws a lot at you when you come back. Plus, there’s a very technical aspect to it. I haven’t flown through the course at that speed in a long time. That brings some stress," admitted the 30-year-old Belgian.

For the fans — more than 10,000 of whom are expected to show up in Loenhout — it’s a real treat to see Van Aert return to cyclo-cross. "You don’t want to just pin on a race number and completely miss the mark, so I’ve been preparing for this. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to, so I’ve worked towards the race. But in terms of training, we’ve continued with the approach geared towards the spring," said Van Aert, who also attended the December training camp with Visma | Lease a Bike in Spain.

"It’s a great training stimulus because, for the first time in months, you’re really pushing yourself to the limit," he explained. "During a five-minute training interval, you look forward to the moment it’s over, but this is a completely different challenge. Suffering hard is the goal here, and hopefully, it makes me stronger." As for concerns about the knee that he injured in the Vuelta, Van Aert is optimistic. "I’m not afraid it will hurt, but I am curious how it will respond. Those muscles are more sensitive than the others, but I don’t think it will hold me back."

When asked about his ambitions, Van Aert keeps it realistic. "I can’t be unhappy. I have nothing to prove, and I’m just excited to be back to racing in cyclo-cross and challenging myself. The goal is to push myself as hard as I can." As for racing head-to-head with Mathieu van der Poel, Van Aert isn’t focused on it. "What Mathieu has done so far this season is incredible. In all three of his races, it’s like he’s never left. Unfortunately, it’s not my goal to turn this into a duel. I just hope I can race with a good feeling and perform well. I won’t roll over, but realistically, he’s on another level right now."