The surprisingly early retirement of Simon Yates from the peloton a few weeks ago caused a lot of reactions in the cycling world. The Briton indicated that he was struggling with his motivation, which immediately raised questions about the mental pressure in professional cycling. The news also hit his colleagues hard.
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For Wout van Aert, Yates’ retirement came completely unexpectedly. There was no sign within the team that the Briton was struggling with such doubts. Van Aert emphasizes that he finds it difficult to make connections or draw conclusions afterwards.
“The news about Simon came as a big surprise to me. I didn’t know that he was struggling with his motivation. So it was unexpected for everyone, including us within the team. It may sound strange, but I can only explain it literally. I find it too easy to link those events together.”
According to Van Aert, his own situation is completely different. The Belgian has felt good within his team for years and does not experience any extra pressure. On the contrary, he emphasizes how stable and happy he feels in his current environment.
“You could just as well say that I have been here for seven years now, that I am a very happy person, that I feel well supported and have always felt at home here. No, I do not feel that there is extra pressure here.”
Hard world
Yet Van Aert shows understanding for riders who are having a difficult time mentally. He realizes better than anyone how demanding life as a professional cyclist is, both physically and mentally. At the same time, he warns against generalizing the problem. “Of course I can understand that. I know how tough professional cycling is, or top sport in general.”
“But I think it is still a limited number of riders to whom this happens, while there are also many riders who are just living their dream lives. Personally, I am as happy as a child every time I get on my bike, even in difficult periods. So yes, I understand, but I find it difficult to draw a general conclusion from that.”
