No World Championship: This is van Aert's cyclocross calendar
The Jumbo-Visma team has launched the cyclocross racing programme from Wout van Aert published for winter 2023/24. The list published by the Belgian's team includes a total of ten competitions, two of which are only optional. In contrast to his permanent rival Mathieu van der Poel are the Cyclocross World Championships not planned for van Aert.
Wout van Aert's 2023/24 cyclocross racing programme
- 09.12.2023 Exact Cross Essen (Belgium)
- 22.12.2023 Exact Cross Mol (Belgium)
- 23.12.2023 World Cup Antwerp (Belgium)
- 26.12.2023 World Cup Gavere (Belgium)
- 27.12.2023 Superprestige Heusden-Zolder (Belgium)
- 30.12.2023 World Cup Hulst (Netherlands)
- 01.01.2024 X20 Baal (Belgium)
- 04/01/2024 X20 Koksijde (Belgium)
- 07.01.2024 World Cup Zonhoven (Belgium)
optional - 21.01.2024 World Cup Benidorm (Spain)
optional
Firmly scheduled races by van Aert and van der Poel
- 22.12.2023 Exact Cross Mol (Belgium)
- 23.12.2023 World Cup Antwerp (Belgium)
- 26.12.2023 World Cup Gavere (Belgium)
- 30.12.2023 World Cup Hulst (Netherlands)
- 01.01.2024 X20 Baal (Belgium)
- 04/01/2024 X20 Koksijde (Belgium)
Van Aert will start the cyclo-cross season on 9 December at the Exact Cross in Essen, Belgium. This is followed by a break until 22 December, when van Aert meets van der Poel for the first time at the Exact Cross in Mol. The following day, both have the World Cup in Antwerp in their programme, as well as the one in Gavere on 26 December. One day later, van Aert is scheduled to start at the Superprestige in Heusden-Zolder, before another World Cup race is planned for the 29-year-old in Hulst on 30 December, which is also on van der Poel's schedule.
Only two competitions are still scheduled for van Aert in the new year: on 1 January at the X20 in Baal and on 4 January at the X20 in Koksijde. These would be duels number five and six between the two superstars. The World Cup races in Zonhoven (7 January) and Benidorm (21 January) are optional on van Aert's schedule, while they are fixed for van der Poel. Unlike van Aert, the Dutchman ends his cyclocross campaign with the World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic, at the beginning of February.
"It's a conscious decision to complete a shorter programme," Wout van Aert is quoted as saying on the Jumbo-Visma homepage. "Last year I found it mentally difficult to concentrate on the cyclocross season and then switch to the spring. I didn't want to leave anything to chance in the spring classics. That's why I'm now riding a reduced programme with a heavy heart," says the Belgian.
Cyclocross World Cup: UCI President Lappartient criticised
There was also unrest in the cross scene last weekend. The reason for this was the absence of U23 world champion Thibau Nys from the World Cup in Dendermonde last Sunday. Instead, Nys rode in the Superprestige in Niel on Saturday, which angered David Lappartient, the president of the UCI. The Frenchman brought measures into play for riders who stay away from the World Cup races.
This could mean exclusion from other prestigious races or world championships. "If a rider prefers to ride a national race during the World Cup races, he will not take part in the following World Cups and therefore also not in the World Championships," said Lappartient in an interview with the French portal DirectVelo. "The World Cup is not a competition where you can choose what you want to ride. Everyone simply has to take part," said the UCI President.
Mathieu van der Poel could also be affected by these measures, as his cyclocross programme has been thinned out considerably until the World Championships.
Reaction of the cycling world to Lappartient's statements
The criticism and statements by UCI President David Lappartient were not without reaction. Cyclocross riders and team managers countered that the reason for missing some races was the expansion of the series to 14 races and the fact that it is being held throughout Europe. "If I start racing everything, I'll end up destroying myself," World Cup leader Lars van der Haar told WielerFlits.
The cyclocross season has been running since mid-October. The World Cup comprises a total of 14 races, with the last competition taking place on 28 January in Hoogerheide. Shortly afterwards, the highlight of the season awaits at the beginning of February with the Cyclocross World Championships.
