What options does Van Aert have to beat Van der Poel in the World Championships?

The unexpected presence of Wout van Aert in the Cyclocross World Championships in Lievin taking place next Sunday has sparked debate about whether the Belgian will be able to beat his archrival Mathieu van der Poel, who is aiming to achieve a perfect season with victories and, more importantly, equal the record of rainbow jerseys held by Eric de Vlaeminck.

Can Wout van Aert beat Mathieu van der Poel in Lievin?

Just when we all thought the cyclocross season was over with another triumph for Mathieu van der Poel at the Lievin World Championships to secure his seventh title, the presence of Wout van Aert in the race means that, despite the Dutchman's dominance, the only cyclist who seems capable of challenging Van der Poel is in the race.

In the few duels we have seen this season between the two, while the unbeatable Van der Poel has ultimately prevailed, it is also true that Wout van Aert has been the only one who has shown potential to keep up with the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider.

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The problem is that, whether due to the few races he has competed in, some insecurity after last year's falls, or simply pushing himself to the limit, Wout van Aert has ended up making mistakes in these duels that have taken him out of contention, raising doubts about his chances in the World Championships.

It is also true that Wout van Aert has given us some simply outstanding races this season, albeit without Mathieu's presence, which speaks volumes about the level of the Visma-Lease a Bike cyclist at the beginning of this year.

So, what does Wout van Aert need to defy the odds next Sunday at the Lievin World Championships? Initially, the first point that could level the playing field is if the race depends less on mistakes and is more about pure pedaling. In other words, a dry race with high speed. This is a possibility according to the latest forecasts, although it must be taken with caution as weather conditions are very unstable and rain cannot be ruled out.

Another important aspect to consider for Wout van Aert's chances is the start. The Belgian starts from the third row, which could mean an initial extra effort that may later affect his chances of going head-to-head with Van der Poel. Therefore, it is crucial for Wout to have a good start and try to avoid the usual bottlenecks that occur beyond the first positions in the initial sections.

Nevertheless, despite having his chances, the reality is that, looking at the odds in the betting houses, we see that the victory of Van Aert is almost 5 times higher than that of Van der Poel, with Thibau Nys appearing as a distant third contender with odds almost 20 times higher than those for Mathieu van der Poel's victory. This clearly shows how much of a favorite the Dutch cyclist is.

In any case, we will have to wait until Sunday to find out and see if we witness another triumphant ride by Van der Poel or if his rivals are able to offer enough opposition to enjoy an exciting race as befits a Cyclocross World Championships.