Wout Van Aert has made a marvel and ultimate minute resolution to race subsequent Sunday’s cyclocross Global Championship in Liévin, in northern France, and so a combat with everlasting rival Mathieu van der Poel is abruptly again on.
Belgian nationwide trainer Angelo De Clercq had handiest named 8 of his 9 riders for the elite males’s race. Now Van Aert has been showed as the general rider within the staff after a past due exchange of thoughts.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Wout Van Aert will compete in the cyclo-cross World Championships this Sunday!” Van Aert’s Visma-Hire a Motorcycle staff introduced on Sunday.
“Motivated by his passion for the sport, Wout expressed his strong desire to be on the start line. After careful discussions, we fully support his decision and can’t wait to watch him give it his all at the worlds.”
Van Aert had at all times dominated out driving the cyclocross Global Championship and has performed simply 4 cyclocross races this iciness as he prioritised his restoration from the knee damage he suffered on the Vuelta a España and his 2025 Classics marketing campaign.
He in brief went shoulder to shoulder with van der Poel all over Saturday’s Maasmechelen Global Cup race and the 2 will now conflict once more in France.
Van der Poel ignored some cyclocross races after fracturing a rib all over the vacations however is the logical favorite to win a file equalling 7th international identify. Van Aert will exchange for his fourth identify, hoping the shape he has rebuilt all over his iciness coaching is sufficient to make him aggressive.
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Van Aert is because of get started his street racing season on the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Inside on February 17 after which trip the Volta ao Algarve (Feb 19-23), earlier than focused on Omloop het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne at the first weekend of March.
“I’m feeling good, and my winter has gone well,” Van Aert stated.
“The World Championships only recently came into my mind and after Maasmechelen the Belgian team coach, my coach at Visma-Lease a Bike and I decided to compete.
“I’m excited to start out in this type of gorgeous race, and I believe that this additional spice up is doing me excellent within the lead-up to larger targets at the street.”
The Head of Performance at Visma-Lease a Bike Mathieu Heijboer said: “Wout is a true cyclocross enthusiast. He indicated that he wanted to race. We discussed it, weighed everything together, and as a team, we fully support Wout.”
De Clercq revealed he left the door open to Van Aert after the Dendermonde World Cup race in early January.
“After Dendermonde I requested him if he sought after to trip the Global Championship in spite of everything. I sensed an excessively slight doubt in his resolution,” De Clercq instructed Sporza.
“I left the door ajar by way of announcing that he may just come to a decision after Maasmechelen. He known as me ultimate night time to invite if he may just get started in spite of everything.”
“In fact Mathieu is the large best favourite, however Wout has already been international champion 3 times. It is excellent for Belgium that we have got an additional pawn and that it’s not simply any previous pawn. The Liévin path fits Wout.”
