Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) has played down his chances of hitting the ground running in the cyclocross season, saying his preparation has been interrupted with complications as he builds up to the Dublin World Cup and other events.
However, this time last year he offered the same cautious appraisal before romping through the 'cross campaign with nine wins from 10 starts. Irish cycling fans will be hoping for the same scenario when he comes to Dublin so they can witness the Belgian in full flight against Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grendiers), who is already coming into form.
"I would have liked to have been there in Kortrijk this coming weekend," Van Aert told Sporza of pushing the start of his season back by a week to Antwerp on Sunday week. "I think my condition is not ready for that. Due to illness and a longer inactivity, I'm a little less advanced than I would like.
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Van Aert said he ran into some mild illness after the World Road Championships in Australia, which lingered for longer than he expected.
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"The cold didn't seem bad enough to rest. I then started exercising and cycling again, which made the cold worse. In the end I had to take antibiotics. As a result, I started my preparation with a lower level.
"I have been able to prepare well in recent weeks. But it is difficult to estimate where I will finish in the first cross," he said, adding his a period of top form may take some weeks to build up. "Of course I hope to compete for the win as soon as possible, especially during the Christmas period."
"I consider the first crosses this season as a run-up. Hopefully the level will return soon and I can work towards the World Championships," he said, adding the world title race in the Netherlands in February was his only big goal this season.
The Dublin round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup takes place on Sunday, December 11th, on the Sport Ireland Campus in Blanchardstown. Van Aert and has team have confirmed he will be there. While Pidcock and Ineos Grenadiers have made no comment about Dublin, the UCI World Cup organisers have said he will be a starter in the Irish capital.
