Johan Museeuw believes Wout van Aert has a crucial season ahead in 2025, with mounting pressure to prove he can still dominate the sport. After a 2024 season plagued by injuries and a significantly reduced cyclocross campaign, the Belgian star must demonstrate that he remains capable of winning the biggest races, according to the cycling legend.
“I get the sense that for Van Aert, it’s now or never,” warns Museeuw, now 59, in an interview with ‘Wieler Revue’. “He’s 30 years old, and time is starting to catch up with him.” He urges Van Aert to seize every opportunity while he’s still in peak form, acknowledging the Belgian’s impressive career but also pointing out that he has only one Monument victory to his name. However, Museeuw is quick to emphasize that Van Aert’s achievements go beyond just the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, highlighting the many prestigious races he has conquered.
Museeuw, a three-time winner of both the Tour of Flanders (1992, 1995, 1998) and Paris-Roubaix (1996, 2000, 2002), along with two Tour de France stage wins and a World Championship title in 1996, draws comparisons between his own career and today’s top riders. While Van Aert is often the focus of discussion, Museeuw believes that his true modern-day equivalent is actually Mathieu van der Poel.
Speaking highly of the Dutch superstar, Museeuw points out Van der Poel’s relentless pursuit of greatness. “Of course, the Cyclocross World Championship isn’t a road race, but it certainly confirms his outstanding form,” he explains. “When we talk about Van der Poel, it’s always about records—first equaling Eric De Vlaeminck’s cyclocross record, and soon, the discussion will shift to his Tour of Flanders achievements. The media loves those narratives, but I don’t think Mathieu himself is too fixated on them.”
Be the first to comment