When Wout van Aert thinks back to certain races in the previous season, he probably feels a pang in his stomach, a feeling of unease. Because the spring was not really a happy one. On the one hand, he was again without a win in one of the big one-day races, and on the other, several of these races went to Mathieu van der Poel went. It would be surprising if the second point did not concern van Aert - the careers of the two are too similar, they are too publicly competitive. And in this duel, van der Poel came off much better with the World Championship title and the victories at Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix last year.
Van Aert's own list of victories is long and prominent: nine Tour de France stage wins, Milan-San Remo, Gent-Wevelgem, Strade Bianche, Omloop het Nieuwsblad and two victories at E3 Harelbeke. The Belgian is undoubtedly one of the most successful professional riders of our time, but he has been dragging a weighty "but" behind him for years. It's about the gaps in his success story: his only Monument to date was won at Milan-San Remo in 2020.
For other major classics such as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, however, the same applies: Often close, but never at the top. Especially as permanent rival van der Poel has already won both, the Tour of Flanders even twice. This is sure to annoy van Aert. If you were to draw a line under his career, some would argue that van Aert hasn't won enough. "A victory in a monument is all that counts. Someone of his level rides to win these races," said Tom Boonen two years ago.
Wout van Aert reduces his cyclocross races
For van Aert, it is now also about how his career will be looked back on at some point. This year he celebrates his 30th birthday. The general consensus is that this means he is at the peak of his career in terms of performance, but it also means that the chances of the big victories are diminishing. This may have played a role in his decision to approach many things differently this year - in terms of coaching, pre-season preparation and the racing programme.
However, the change of coach was not van Aert's decision. His long-time confidant Marc Lamberts followed Primoz Roglic from Visma | Lease a Bike to Bora-Hansgrohe. Mathieu Heijboer is now his coach for this season, although the two have worked together before. However, he and his team made a different decision after the 2023 spring campaign: There needs to be fewer cyclocross races in winter.
"We realised that we had put too much energy into cyclocross in recent years without realising it. It was a difficult decision, but it reassures me," said van Aert at the team presentation in December. Because according to his new coach Heijboer on the portal "WielerFlits" After the 2023 cyclocross season, van Aert had a "slump, both physically and mentally, he was also ill. And so we suddenly ran out of time to prepare for the spring."
This winter, van Aert only took part in nine cyclo-cross races, which is not much less than the 14 and ten starts in the two previous years. However, it was all about low intensity: not going to the maximum in every race and not competing in too many races in direct succession. In addition, van Aert skipped the World Championships at the end of the cyclo-cross season. "We have learnt that a world championship has too great an impact on Wout's spring. Especially the preparation for such a world championship," Heijboer continued. Now van Aert had more rest periods and more training sessions at the start of the year with a view to the road season.
Wout van Aert skips Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo in 2024
The team is also taking a new approach to the race calendar. Last year, van Aert only started the season at Tirreno-Adriatico in March, skipping the so-called "opening weekend" of the Flemish classics season consisting of Omloop het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. This was supposed to bring him to the start of the Tour of Flanders in top condition, but did not work out as hoped - also because van Aert fell ill in the meantime. "To be honest, I don't think I was ever at my best level in 2023," said van Aert, looking back on the past season.
This year, the opposite approach is being taken: van Aert started the season earlier than ever before with the Clasica de Almeria on 11 February. The "Opening Weekend" is also part of the racing programme again before he takes a longer break from racing. No Strade Bianche, no Tirreno-Adriatico or Milan-San Remo - instead a training block with an altitude training camp. A remarkable decision. "It wasn't easy to do without these races. But if you look at the big picture, van Aert stands behind this decision," says Heijboer.
Van Aert will not return to the peloton until the E3 Harelbeke for the decisive phase of the Flemish classics season. Fewer and more targeted races, more chances of success at the right time - this is the equation hoped for at Visma |Lease a Bike. It should bring van Aert the last, decisive percentage points.
Because the Belgian has never been bad so far. However, he is a perfect example of how difficult it is to win a monument - even for a rider in his top class. Of his 17 participations in the cycling monuments to date, he has finished in the top ten 14 times and on the podium seven times - but only once as the winner. In the previous season, van Aert finished third at Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix and fourth at the Tour of Flanders. Good results. But defeats for a rider of van Aert's calibre.
Wout van Aert mainly collects second places
To make matters worse, his record of narrowly missing out on victories can be extended to other major races. At the World Championships, he has had to settle for silver twice in the time trial and twice on the road, and he also came second at the 2021 Olympic road race in Tokyo. At the European Road Championships last year, he also only took silver, as well as bronze in the time trial.
For all his successes to date, van Aert is at a tipping point where his career is gradually being defined by the races he hasn't won. The good news with regard to the classics: Tadej Pogacar is not taking part in the Flemish races this year; the bad news: Mathieu van der Poel is still at the start (Omloop het Nieuwsblad excluded) - and recently always seemed to be a tad superior to van Aert. The Dutchman is the big hurdle in the upcoming classics. However, van Aert is at least leaving no stone unturned in the run-up to the race.
