“Got the Feeling of Being Fresher”- 29-Year-Old Belgian Cyclist Adopts Tactical Shifts in Pursuit of Perfection

The cycling luminary, Wout van Aert, witnessed the best of times in 2022 with back-to-back victories. However, the Belgian cycling maestro found himself chasing the elusive pinnacle he once achieved as he pedals his way through the tumultuous tides of the 2023 cycling season. 

The 29-year-old cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam of Jumbo Visma has not been in his best form this season. Van Aert’s Tour de France campaign lacked dazzle that prompted introspection and recalibration of his racing calendar despite podium finishes at esteemed events last season.

Van Aert’s revamped priorities

In 2023, Van Aert has been at his best form in the E3 Saxo Classic backed up by his three podium finishes at the Paris-Roubaix, road World Championships, and Tour of Flanders. However, while taking part in the Tour de France, cycling fans could easily identify the difference between his form this season as contrasted with 2022.  

In an interview with Cycling Weekly, Van Aert admitted how his schedule is fully packed up which caused immense strain. “I’ve already got the feeling of being fresher. This discipline [cyclo-cross] maybe took up too much time on my calendar in the last few years.”

He has rearranged his calendar for the upcoming 2023-2024 and has accommodated only 8-10 cyclo-cross races in place of 14 as the previous year. Opting for a more balanced schedule, he aims to focus more on training channeling his passion for cycling. Even though Van Aert has reduced the number of cyclo-cross races post-participation in Mol, he has four more races scheduled for the remaining days in December.  

A year of unmet peaks leads to a shift in focus

Reiterating his 2023 journey, Van Aert attributes several factors that led to the lack of his peak performance this year. He has been affected by a mid-season illness that came as a blow, disrupting his cyclo-cross rhythm. This further triggered a rollercoaster ride for Van Aert as he missed participating in the Italian spring WorldTour races that included prestigious events- Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo.

Read More: “Got the Feeling of Being Fresher”- 29-Year-Old Belgian Cyclist Adopts Tactical Shifts in Pursuit of Perfection

Even though his career track is going downhill, Van Aert refused to lose his resilient spirit. The upcoming year holds significant alterations for him. For his motto, he envisions stage wins as his primary objective. Van Aert has justified his decision behind the change of his course of action,

“It was time to do something different. The Tour de France is never boring, but at a certain point it becomes a habit.” In a way, through this transformation, he challenged himself and has now set his sights on the Giro d’Italia Grande Partenza in May. 

Adhering to a strategy of reduced engagements, Van Aert refocused his training regimen to channel his energy in the appropriate direction. In this way, he gears up to perform meticulously in the Olympics by remaining steadfast in his pursuit of cycling glory.

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