Wellens Predicts Swift โReturn to Cyclocross for Van Aert, Criticizes UCI World Cup Scheduling
Former professional cyclist Sven Wellens believes Wout van Aert will “enter the field fairly quickly,” perhaps as early as late November or early December, according to comments made to Het Nieuwsblad. This comes as speculation mounts regarding Van Aert’s cyclocross schedule this winter, โwith the rider โhimself acknowledging a desire โto race moreโฃ cross but prioritizing his road seasonโค readiness.
Wellens suggests increased cyclocross participationโข could benefit Van Aert’s performance in spring โclassicsโ like the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.โ “The few โpercentage points that he often falls short in the finals on the road are, in โขmyโข opinion, โthe โขresult of the fact that he has been less and less active in the field in recent winters,” Wellens stated. He believes the “punch” โฃand “explosiveness” โคgained from cyclocross are crucial for success in thoseโข races.
Beyond Van Aert’s potential return, Wellensโค leveled sharp criticism โฃat theโค UCIโค and its World Cup scheduling, alleging it is tailored to accommodate the programs of Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. “What bothers โme is that the UCI tailors the World Cup calendar to โฃtheirโฃ programโ and crams all heats into December and January as much as possible,” Wellens said.He argues this makesโค it impossible for riders competing in full seasons to effectively contestโค all three classifications.
Wellens further claimed Van Aert โฃand โฃVan der Poel have effectively dismissed the importance of the world Cup classification, stating, “They have been saying ‘fuck you’ โขto the UCI for two yearsโฃ now, but they continue to be angry.”โฃ Van Aert recently expressed reservations about prioritizing cyclocross, stating, “It has to fit in with my preparation for the road seasonโฆAt the moment, cross has to make way โขfor that a bit.”