“The cross fan in me can only be happy about that (Van Aert taking part ed.),” explains Nys in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad, stressing how because of Van Aert being at the start line, it’s no longer an ‘easy’ win for pre-race favourite Mathieu van der Poel.
“No matter how impressive Mathieu’s performances are, people don’t watch the cross to know who the winner is after one lap. Actually, I don’t want to know who’s going to win until half a lap from the end. Sport thrives on duels.”
The consensus from most experts is that the Lievin course is actually more favoured to Van Aert too, increasing the likelihood that we might actually see Van der Poel given a real test next weekend.
We're thrilled to announce that @woutvanaert will compete in the cyclo-cross World Championships this Sunday! 🌈
Wout: "I am excited to start in such a beautiful race, and I think that this extra boost is doing me good in the lead-up to bigger goals on the road."
Read more. 👇
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) January 26, 2025
“The power that Wout developed on Saturday in Maasmechelen will come close to Mathieu’s level on a course like that of Liévin. And that is what we want,” Nys explains, agreeing that Van Aert is well suited to the conditions in France. “We are now going to have a battle on two fronts: Wout and Mathieu for the world title, the rest for the third podium place.”
