Wout Van Aert Has Five Cyclocross Battles With MVDP Ahead of Him. But First, Dancing!

Fans of Wout van Aert have been anxiously awaiting his cyclocross schedule. Because if you’re a true Wout follower, you know that cyclocross is where he started, and where he’s still so much fun to watch.

And no one will be disappointed, because the Belgian sprinter is set to go head-to-head with his longtime rival, Mathieu van der Poel, for five cyclocross showdowns this season.

But first, a little trip to Columbia for the Giro di Rigo, and dancing. Van Aert enjoyed some down time at El Giro de Rigo in Colombia this weekend. He took part in the 155 km. Gran Fondo, which took place just southwest of Bogotá, with several fans and other pros.

Cycling News reported that the Belgian superstar was “given a hero’s welcome in South America and met by huge cheers on stage at the event presentation.” Then, “Van Aert seemed to have the time of his life in Colombia ahead of returning to the stringent training schedule that comes in preparation for his cyclocross season and the 2024 WorldTour.”

Other pros in attendance included Rigoberto Urán (EF Education–EasyPost), Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe), and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious). According to Cycling News, “Higuita and van Aert tested the legs and sprinted alongside each other during the 4-hour ride before rejoining the more casual pace.”

More than 5,300 people took part in the Gran Fondo, and more than 30,000 fans lined the streets to see van Aert and Urán, who was part of Columbia’s major success story in road cycling. Then, they partied in true Colombian fashion.

The upcoming MVDP showdown

But now, van Aert is off to practice big watts in the mud. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, he will compete in a very selective five-race schedule between December 22 and January 1. And all five races will feature his longtime rival, Mathieu Van der Poel.

Velo reported that, “van Aert and Van der Poel’s rivalry has driven the cyclocross narrative for more than a decade. The two have been racing each other since they were juniors and share a total of 11 elite, U23, and junior titles between them.”

According to We Love Cycling, Van Aert’s schedule features races where he has previously excelled, “including two Exact Cross races in Mol and Loenhout on December 22 and 29, respectively, and the Superprestige event in Diegem on December 28. He is also expected to ride in the World Cup of Antwerp and the X2O Trofee in Baal.”

Here’s the complete list of the races the two cyclocross superstars will be battling it out this season:

• Dec 22, 2023: Exact ‘Cross Mol

• Dec 23, 2023: World Cup Antwerp

• Dec 28, 2023: Superprestige Diegem

• Dec 29, 2023: Exact ‘Cross Loenhout

• Jan 1, 2024: X2O Trofee Baal / GP Sven Nys

One can only hope that if van Aert pulls off some wins, there will be even more dancing in his future.

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