Wout van Aert’s usual early-December return to the mud looks set to slip a little later this year, according to a report in Het Laatste Nieuws.
The Visma–Lease a Bike rider has typically kicked off his cyclocross block as soon as the calendar flips to December, but the Belgian daily says fans will have to wait a bit longer.
The hold-up isn’t injury-related this time. Van Aert is committed to his team’s first full training camp of the winter, an eight-day block in Oliva, Spain, running Dec. 8–16. The three-time world champion has made no secret of how eager he is to pin on a number again, but the Spanish camp effectively rules out an early start.
Instead, the end-of-December sand races appear to be his likely landing spot. Het Laatste Nieuws reports that Van Aert, 31, is weighing a return at one of three events: the World Cup rounds in Antwerp (Dec. 20) or Koksijde (Dec. 21), or the X2O Trofee stop in Hofstade (Dec. 22).
All three are classic sand courses—terrain Van Aert has long excelled on—though the team hasn’t confirmed a final choice.
Van Aert also opened his campaign later than usual last winter, debuting on Dec. 27 after a knee injury from the Vuelta a España. He raced just six times but still managed to win the World Cup in Dendermonde and finished runner-up to Mathieu van der Poel at the world championships in Liévin.
Van Aert’s recent cyclocross season openers:
2024: Dec. 27 – Loenhout
2023: Dec. 9 – Essen
2022: Dec. 4 – Antwerp
2021: Dec. 4 – Boom
2020: Nov. 28 – Kortrijk
2019: Dec. 27 – Loenhout
Van der Poel still to confirm winter plans
As for his long-time rival, Mathieu van der Poel has yet to reveal his own return date. His full winter schedule will be unveiled at the course presentation for the 2026 world championships in Hulst, Zeeland. Alpecin–Deceuninck team manager Christoph Roodhooft told Sporza the world champion should surface “around Christmas,” without naming a precise race.