Van Aert will need to race at least four World Cup events if he wants to contend for the rainbow jersey

Wout van Aert is continuing to prepare for his return to cyclocross, but his potential participation in the 2027 World Championships in Ostend is still far from certain. Belgian national team coach Angelo De Clercq has explained that the Visma-Lease a Bike rider will need to compete in at least four World Cup events if he wants to secure a good starting position. This requirement will have an impact on his race schedule and could prove decisive in his bid to reclaim the rainbow jersey.

Starting position, Van Aert’s biggest obstacle to racing the cyclocross World Championships

Just a few weeks ago, Van Aert admitted that the prospect of racing the World Championships in Ostend in front of his home crowd was particularly appealing to him, although he preferred to wait and see how his form developed before making a final decision.

Now, Angelo De Clercq has told Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN) that there is another problem to consider. Van Aert’s shortened cyclocross season last winter, which was cut short by an ankle fracture in Mol, has seen him drop to 62nd in the UCI rankings.

That position could force him to start from one of the back rows at the World Championships, scheduled for Sunday, January 31.

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“The special invitation he needs to be selected is not a problem in itself. The important thing is to secure a good starting position, preferably in the first two rows. He will have to earn it by finishing in the top 16 in a World Cup event,” De Clercq explained.

The national team coach believes that Van Aert would need to race at least four World Cup events to have a chance of securing that position.

As an example, he recalled what happened at the 2025 World Championships in Liévin, when the Belgian fell just three points short of making the top 16 in the World Cup standings and ended up starting from the fifth row. Despite that setback, he fought his way through the field to finish second behind Mathieu van der Poel.

The Christmas period could determine Van Aert’s race schedule

The window of opportunity to collect those points will be relatively short. The first World Cup events, in Ostrava and Tábor in late November, come too soon given the current state of his preparations.

In addition, Visma-Lease a Bike’s training camp in Spain, which starts on December 8, rules out an appearance in Glasgow on the 13th.

As a result, Van Aert could make his return over the weekend of December 19–20, coinciding with the World Cup events in Antwerp and Koksijde.

A series of races will follow, potentially giving him the opportunity to collect the points he needs:

• December 19: Antwerp

• December 20: Koksijde

• December 26: Gavere

• December 27: Namur

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  December 29: Besançon

• January 3: Zonhoven

These races are possibilities on the calendar, not confirmed appearances by Van Aert.

According to De Clercq, this block of races could be enough to resolve his starting-grid problem. If not, he would still have the Benidorm event on January 17 and the final World Cup weekend, with races in Hamme and Hoogerheide on January 23 and 24.

Van Aert wants to race the World Championships, but only if he can fight for the title

Beyond points and starting positions, another factor will be decisive in the Belgian’s decision: his form.

“Wout wants to be there in front of his home crowd, but he is waiting to see how his form holds up during the intense Christmas period and whether he can go to Ostend with a genuine ambition to win the world title. That is understandable,” De Clercq explained.

Van Aert won three consecutive world titles between 2016 and 2018, and no Belgian rider has won the elite men's championship since.

His potential return to the World Championships also comes amid uncertainty surrounding his biggest rival. Mathieu van der Poel has yet to confirm whether he will race this winter, and there is even the possibility that he could compete only at the World Championships, without taking part in any races beforehand.

Meanwhile, Belgium has other options for Ostend. Thibau Nys and Emiel Verstrynge are among the riders expected to be part of the national team, while De Clercq has also acknowledged that Gianni Vermeersch and Tim Merlier are interested in competing.

The national team coach has not ruled out selecting several riders who combine cyclocross with road racing, although he stresses that everyone will have to earn their place.