Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

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Jun 20, 2015
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I will never understand VWA's calendar. Is doing cyclocross this weekend BUT can't go foe one extra week to do the World's. Then he rides a couple of opening races then goes on a needless altitude camp.
 
Sep 1, 2023
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I will never understand VWA's calendar. Is doing cyclocross this weekend BUT can't go foe one extra week to do the World's. Then he rides a couple of opening races then goes on a needless altitude camp.
He won't win World's so meaningless racing it when he has won it 3 times already.
 
Jan 31, 2021
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Officially, there no start money for World Cups, which account for most of his racing this year. But if he can find a way to make those lucrative he could probably also find a payday for World Champs.
 
Sep 12, 2022
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I will never understand VWA's calendar. Is doing cyclocross this weekend BUT can't go foe one extra week to do the World's. Then he rides a couple of opening races then goes on a needless altitude camp.
Losing doesn’t help mentally for spring classics
 
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Sep 6, 2022
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I think it's great he's joining the WC battle! But I don't think he has much of a chance. If Matthieu just rides him off his wheel what will that do mentally for Wout looking ahead at the classics? I know he is a champ with a champ's mindset, but I cannot fully believe he is immune to getting his ass kicked by the same guy 9/10.
 
Nov 16, 2013
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I think it's great he's joining the WC battle! But I don't think he has much of a chance. If Matthieu just rides him off his wheel what will that do mentally for Wout looking ahead at the classics? I know he is a champ with a champ's mindset, but I cannot fully believe he is immune to getting his ass kicked by the same guy 9/10.

He is giving Mathieu a false sense of security through getting beaten over and over, and then BOOM he won't know what hit him in De Ronde.
 
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Jan 31, 2021
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It never really made sense that he wouldn't ride worlds if he was going to race up until this weekend, but I don't see anything in his last few races that would have given him much reason to change his mind.

Good for the spectacle at least. It will be a better race.
 
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Yes, Yes, Yes, a thousand times Yes! Best 'cross news I've seen in a while.
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Sep 12, 2022
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He probably doesn't have to pay it himself, but WVA lost the lawsuit from Nick Nuyens against him. He has to pay 662K

 
Jan 11, 2010
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He probably doesn't have to pay it himself, but WVA lost the lawsuit from Nick Nuyens against him. He has to pay 662K

He has already paid it. Just won't get it back.
 
Jan 31, 2021
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Wout is playing with house money at the WC. He loses, "oh well, I've been focusing on the road season anyway", but if he wins, it's a huge shot in the arm and a mental advantage over MvdP coming into the classics.
He is constantly setting up this sort of dynamic for himself, at least in cross. Always downplaying his condition ahead of races. In the lead up to Hoogerheide 2023 his line to the media was "That title doesn't add much to my palmares anymore" but the way he raced and his reaction afterwards suggested otherwise.

And what's the mental impact of another season of getting beaten by MVDP in cx if he doesn't win Sunday? Water off a duck's back? Not so sure.
 
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Dec 22, 2021
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He looked tired in Benidorm and much fresher in Maasmechelen so if he continues the trajectory and gets a muddy course then he’s got a chance. And he can’t make that many mistakes again can he?
 
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