What a surprise! Wout van Aert will start at the World Cyclo-cross Championships in Liévin: "I’ll give it my all"
Cyclocross
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Follow us on GoogleWout van Aert's winter was over because the Visma | Lease a Bike rider would skip the cyclo-cross World Championships in Liévin. After the Maasmechelen World Cup, he would focus on the road, but on Sunday, he changed his mind: the triple world champion would take a shot at his fourth title in France.
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In a press release, he confirmed this to his team: "I'm feeling good, and my winter has gone well," Van Aert said. The World Championships only recently came into my mind, and after Maasmechelen, the Belgian team coach, my coach at Team Visma | Lease a Bike, and I decided to compete, " he said. From the beginning of the winter, Van Aert had already decided to skip the cyclocross World Championships: it didn't fit his schedule.
A few months later, the recovery has gone better than expected, and the all-rounder is very satisfied with the level he has shown in his cyclo-cross winter. Therefore, he will travel to France after all. "I am excited to start in such a beautiful race, and I think this extra boost is doing me good in the lead-up to bigger goals on the road. The preparation has been very different, but I'll do my best." The Belgian team will see Van Aert's arrival as a godsend because Thibau Nys, Laurens Sweeck, and Niels Vandeputte are ill.
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De Clercq: "Everyone in Belgium is happy"
You can call it a significant relief for national coach Mario De Clercq. "That's why the ninth name wasn't released when I announced the selection a while ago," he told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. "It was a risk I took. There was the chance that Wout would stick to his decision not to start at the World Championships, but ultimately, he changed his mind."
"This is, of course, fantastic news for us as a federation. I am very happy with his decision. I can now go down to the World Championship with the nine strongest men." The Belgian team needs Van Aert, as there usually is little to do against Mathieu van der Poel. With his great rival present, the Belgians already have a little more chance. "The more chances we have to get to Mathieu van der Poel, the better. Because, let's face it, Mathieu is still the top favorite for the title. I think everyone in Belgium is happy that Wout van Aert will start in the World Championship next Sunday."
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Van Aert, yes, but no Vos at the World Championships?
"Wout is a pure cyclo-cross enthusiast," says Mathieu Heijboer, Head of Performance at Visma | Lease a Bike. "Wout is a true cyclo-cross enthusiast. He indicated that he wanted to race. We discussed it, weighed everything together, and we fully support Wout." So Van Aert will start, but the Dutch formations are concerned about Marianne Vos's situation. The 37-year-old top rider dropped out before the end of lap one in Hoogerheide after injuring her calf in Maasmechelen. Whether she will start in Liévin is still uncertain.
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Fair enough if he skips cross this winter. With a newborn on the way, there’s no need to rush back into racing.davidm15-11-2026
- Is “Ovett” Mathieu’s friend who joined him on the training rides? The article mentions him a few times, but I’m not familiar with the name.sprocketspiny15-11-2026
- Eight world titles and now a new chapter off the bike. Hope everything goes smoothly for them!raceready715-11-2026
- Huge news for the world champion. With the baby due in January, I can see why Mathieu’s cyclocross plans are still up in the air—family comes first.jennifer1915-11-2026
- Congratulations to Mathieu and Roxanne! A Costa Blanca proposal after all those training miles sounds pretty special.michael5415-11-2026
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026