What is happening to Wout van Aert?

Second in Dwars door Vlaanderen, 4th in De Ronde and Paris-Roubaix, again 2nd in Brabantse Pijl and another 4th a few days ago in Amstel Gold Race. Results that would be excellent for almost any other cyclist in the peloton but seem insignificant for a cyclist of the level and quality of Wout van Aert.

Once again, spring seems to be a challenge for Wout van Aert

After the terrible 2024 season, in which Wout van Aert had to deal with serious falls in Dwars door Vlaanderen and La Vuelta, the latter leaving visible marks on his right knee, the Visma Lease a Bike cyclist carried out a winter preparation exclusively focused on arriving as fresh as possible and in optimal form for the week of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, the two cobblestone monuments that resist one of the most complete cyclists of recent years.

A preparation in which he reduced to a minimum his participation in the cyclocross campaign in which, on the other hand, he gave us some spectacular days; and also the classics season that started very discreetly in the opening weekend and then disappeared from the races until the E3 Saxo Classic where he also went unnoticed.

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The rest, the results that we detailed at the beginning of the article, good results if we only look at the cold numbers but if we look at the outcomes of the races, only in Dwars door Vlaanderen and Brabantse Pijl has Wout van Aert been in a real position to fight for victory and in both he has been surpassed in the sprint, a discipline in which until recently he was infallible, let's not forget that we are talking about a cyclist who has even managed to win on the Champs-Élysées.

The label of "eternal second", a nickname that until recently was known for Raymond Poulidor and that Wout van Aert seems willing to take away from the legendary French cyclist as he already has 44 of these positions, some as relevant as 4 silvers in time trials and road races, silver in the Tokyo Olympics or his second places in Flanders and Roubaix in addition to numerous classics and stages.

Both cyclists also share the coincidence of being riders with a tremendous record of victories, Wout van Aert already has 49, but also the coincidence in time with some of the best cyclists in history. While Wout van Aert has had to fight tooth and nail throughout his career with a force of nature like Mathieu van der Poel, the grandfather of the latter had to face an incomparable rival like the legendary Jacques Anquetil. Even more complicated is the case of Van Aert who now has to deal with the emergence in the classics of Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.

We must also not forget that, except for Mathieu van der Poel with whom he has shared a career since lower categories, all are younger cyclists than Van Aert. And sometimes we forget that the Belgian has already crossed the barrier of 30 years. However, the comparison with his archrival does not seem to indicate that this is a determining factor, it is true that the serious falls of last year have taken a toll on the Visma-Lease a Bike rider and may have accelerated the decline of his career.

We have also heard voices that have been criticizing the Belgian for not focusing exclusively on the classics throughout his career but, if we look, he has been a key player for his team in the Tour de France victories achieved by Jonas Vingegaard, races in which he even found the space to shine with a good collection of stages. Criticisms that extend to his participation in the Giro d'Italia, a race where, a priori, it seems that his goal will be to fight for the cyclamen jersey in the points classification and that may have also conditioned his preparation for this spring.

The analyses that are being read these days also point to the mental aspect. There has been talk of the relaxation that having a lifelong contract with Visma-Lease a Bike may have meant for Van Aert. Also, the lack of confidence that so many second places may have generated in him and the media pressure of always being reminded of this aspect, especially for a cyclist who never hides and, as happened after the disaster of the Dwars door Vlaanderen finale, does not hesitate to take blame and never denies a statement to the media when requested.

Whether one thing or another, the truth is that we must assume that perhaps the best years of Wout van Aert are already behind him although, it is also true, he surely still has some great days saved for us to continue enjoying a devastating cyclist on terrains ranging from the high mountains of the Tour de France to the roads of Liguria that lead to San Remo, by the way, the only monument that the Belgian has managed to add so far.