Where did Van Aert go? The long silence afterward the fall of the Vuelta It was interrupted by the first appearances on social media. The Belgian has resumed training and has recently returned home from Spain for the team's photo sessions.What emerges from reading his days on Strava is that Wout is now cycling without pain, but running still causes him some problems.
In the last few days the Belgian has been publishing training tracks, some with his wife Sarah, and sources within the team confirm the intention to increase running training over the next two weeksDepending on the results and his feelings, it will be decided when Van Aert will take the field for the first time to cross. This will certainly happen. after the first Spanish withdrawal of the Visma-Lease a Bike, which will end on December 19th.
"Only then," the Belgian said, "will we know when I can return to the race. If there's one thing I remember about the Vuelta, it's that I had the feeling of having found my legs and perfect efficiency again. So I'm confident that this latest incident won't stop me from getting back to my best."
Van Aert's knee
His delay apparently doesn't worry the team, even if the management of the recovery was careful and necessarily gradual. The knee has nevertheless suffered a hard blow, so much so that when the running pushes towards high intensity, Van Aert still feels some discomfort.The doctors, however, aren't surprised, much less worried: in the recovery plan, it was clear from the start that walking again would be the final step.
In the crash on the stage leading to Lagos de Covadonga, the Belgian suffered a deep cut and a bruise. The hematoma made it very painful to lean on my right leg for a long time. and this kind of feeling comes out, even if mildly, when Wout walks. The good thing is that the knee did not suffer any structural damage, nothing that has affected the patella, cartilage or ligaments. The sample must find the ease of walking and then running, without any risk of worsening the injuryBut that's why a return to cross-country would be absolutely critical at the moment.
Nys buses
While the Belgian nurses his wounds, cyclocross in Belgium has come to life even without the three most anticipated stars. And yet, as in a Tour trial of Pogacar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel, the public is increasing and the race courses are taken by storm. The explosion of Thibau Nys and reliable characters like Iserbyt, Sweeck, Vantourenhout, Van der Haar and all those who populate that cycling make the races equally attractive. The enthusiastic, yet very sporting and knowledgeable public of Flanders He who yawns when he's not facing superstars is a star.
«It's so exciting – Paul Herijgers, world champion in 1994 in Koksijde, recently explained – because they are very close to each other. I'm sure Thibau Nys will be a starEveryone thinks or hopes this will happen quickly, but I'm not fooled, and it would be enough for me if he managed to increase his number of victories this year. Even on the road. I dare say he could win the Fleche Wallonne next seasonAnd if the busloads of fans who already follow him in cross-country skiing go with him to the Mur d'Huy, then you'll really understand what kind of crowd we're talking about."
Van der Poel's Wait
Van Aert is expected and Van der Poel is expected, who is no joke when it comes to running, having allowed himself a half marathon. Some say that Mathieu will not race cross-country during the winter, even if The technicians say it would do him a lot of good to feel the cold before the Northern racesTraining in Spain is fine, but you need to take measurements on the real scene.
So if on the one hand Van Aert's return seems quite close, he could set his sights on ten races before Christmas, knowing the rivalry there is a bet that Van der Poel will arrive a couple of weeks laterBoth will do so with the certainty of being immediately ready to win and keep up with each other, having taken into account that they won't be able to win the World Cup, whose schedule excludes those who do not take part in most of the tests. If they return, it will be to play among themselves and take the temperature of young NysThey say they don't care, but having a young man jostling for their throne worries them a little.
