A bombshell in the cyclocross world. On Sunday, Wout van Aert announced that he will indeed participate in the Cyclocross World Championship. However, the rider from the Kempen region had to make several serious promises to his coach, Mathieu Heijboer, and to himself.
“Wout had to make an agreement with himself that he would just continue with what he was doing on Monday morning, preparing for the road season,” said Heijboer in a conversation with Het Laatste Nieuws. The fact that Van Aert decided to race in the World Championship was also a surprise for the Dutch coach.
“When Wout called me on Saturday afternoon, after the Maasmechelen race, and mentioned the World Championship, I was completely taken aback. I hadn’t anticipated that he had been thinking about it for a while,” shared Heijboer, who serves as Head of Performance at Visma-Lease a Bike.
Road Season Remains a Priority
Despite the fact that Wout will be fighting for a fourth World title, the road season remains the main focus. “As a coach, it’s my job to outline the pros and cons and allow him to make an informed decision, with the most important factor being that he keeps his eye on the bigger picture: preparing for the road season, with the main focus on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.”
According to Heijboer, Van Aert’s participation in the World Championship is mainly a mental boost. “In 2024, Wout missed several big events due to bad luck, and that has lingered. Wout thrives on performing at his best in major events. I feel that if he didn’t race at the World Championship, he would have the feeling that he’s missing out on another big event.”
Caution Advised
Heijboer also emphasized that Van Aert should not set overly high expectations for the World Championship. “One of my main questions and conditions was that, regardless of the result, he should not get carried away after the World Championship or be overly disappointed. The latter happened two years ago when he finished second in the World Championship in Hoogerheide,” he explained.
“He made an agreement with himself that he would go to the World Championship to compete for an hour and have fun, but that on Monday morning after the event, he would just continue with his preparations.”
To close, Van Aert’s coach was asked how likely he thought it was that his pupil could win the World Championship. “If bad luck isn’t a factor—although I wouldn’t wish bad luck on anyone, even Mathieu van der Poel—then Mathieu has a ninety percent chance of winning the World title, and Wout has a ten percent chance.”
