The thriller in Namur made people dream of an exciting cross-winter, but Bart Wellens quickly dashed those hopes. The former cyclo-cross world champion sees a bleak future for Wout van Aert and expects Mathieu van der Poel to call the shots again in the coming weeks.
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Antwerp comes too early for Van Aert
With the Antwerp World Cup approaching, many fans are looking forward to the first match between Van der Poel, Thibau Nys and Wout van Aert. Yet Wellens immediately tempers expectations. “With all due respect to Wout van Aert, the signals are that he is on the right track, but I do not expect that he will immediately be able to put his foot next to Van der Poel in Antwerp,” he said matter-of-factly.
Wellens does miss a bit in this regard. “Wout can always surprise me, of course,” he adds. But the general tenor is clear: according to Wellens, Van Aert does not seem to be far enough along to immediately compete for victory.
Program plays into Van der Poel’s hands
According to Wellens, the calendar will only encourage the world champion even more. After Antwerp, Van der Poel heads to Koksijde and Hofstade, to also appear in Gavere around Christmas. Loenhout will be his last cross of the year, after which he will compete five or six more times before he focuses on the World Championships in Hulst. “These are all nice courses for Van der Poel,” Wellens notes.
He does not often expect the tension we saw in Namur to return. “Namur was exciting, but I think we have now left for a few boring crosses,” his conclusion sounds particularly sharp.
Wellens also sees little reason for hope for the competition for the next appointment. The sand cross in Antwerp suits Van der Poel very well, he emphasizes. “So we will see a much more dominant Mathieu there,” the analyst predicts. According to Wellens, the rocket ship has definitely been launched. “I expect a few more one-man shows.”
