“Love to take a nap in my bus that’s illegally parked in a protected bike lane and force cyclists to use the pavement”: Why don’t cyclists use the cycle lane? Because there’s a school bus driver sleeping in it; Wout’s worlds U-turn + more on the live blog

Wout van Aert’s last-minute decision to ride this weekend’s cyclocross world championships in Liévin has been welcomed by the very man the Belgian is aiming to unseat as the sport’s dominant force.

Reigning world champion Mathieu van der Poel is aiming for a seventh cyclocross rainbow jersey in northern France on Sunday – a feat that would bring him level with all-time record holder Erik De Vlaeminck, who secured his seventh world title in 1973 – but believes the presence of his biggest rival will only add to the sense of occasion.

“A world championships with or without Wout is always different,” Van der Poel told Het Nieuwsblad today.

“It can only make the championships more beautiful, for the fans, too. And you never know with Wout. I have to keep him in mind, just like I do other riders.”

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Van Aert and Van der Poel’s rivalry – which started in the youth ranks and extends from the ‘cross field to the cobbled bergs of the road classics – has arguably helped define the past decade of the sport.

They’ve shared nine cyclocross world titles between them (Van Aert’s three to Van der Poel’s six), and since 2015 have stood together on the podium at the ‘cross world championships six times.

However, Van Aert – who has opted for a truncated cyclocross season this year to properly prepare for the road – knows it will take an almighty effort to dislodge his Dutch rival, who has appeared imperious throughout his unbeaten season, and admits he is now “close to the best version of myself” after overcoming a rib injury suffered at the Loenhout ‘cross last month.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

“The race has to be ridden,” he insisted nevertheless.

“There are a few names I am keeping in mind. Thibau Nys is someone who can excel at world championships, Michael Vanthourenhout as well And now there is Wout.”

And that rainbow record?

“It’s a record that I can equal next Sunday,” the 29-year-old said. “It’s been in the books for a long time, so that means something. It’s something unique, but for me, the most important thing is that I become world champion again.”

While Van der Poel remains the big favourite for Sunday, the Belgian camp – now with Van Aert firmly entrenched – are cautiously optimistic about their chances now, too.

"There are a number of scenarios that you can name and with Wout, you have an extra iron in the fire. You have someone who is really a leader,” national coach Angelo de Clercq told Wielerflits.

“He never really went there as a title favourite, but he still got to wear that rainbow jersey three times. So he is a contender, but Mathieu is the big favourite.”

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

However, the organiser of this weekend’s world championships in northern France has a very different outlook on things.

“This is a course where you can perfectly ride alone. You have to choose your own pace, otherwise you will quickly blow yourself up. The two steps can also play a role, because they are quite high. The strong runners can take advantage of that,” Mickaël Lemardele said in an interview with the Dutch cycling site.

“If I have to name one potential winner? This course is perfect for Wout van Aert.”

Sunday could be very interesting, indeed.

By now, we’re all well used to local newspapers and publications shoehorning cycling into headlines, in a bid to attract those sweet, sweet, ire-fuelled clicks.

But this one, from Surrey Live, surely takes the biscuit.

Yesterday, the online news site published a story summarising a study conducted by a team of neuroscientists from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow, which assessed the links between six different sports and all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality risk.

The study, which followed the lives of 80,306 adults across England and Wales for over a decade, considered physical activity level, demographic factors, health conditions, and lifestyle in a bid to determine, in a nutshell, what sports can help you live longer.

> Cycle to work and you'll need fewer sick days, new study suggests — as researchers find "further reasons for employers to encourage" cycling

And, according to the researchers, they observed a “significant reduction” in mortality in those who enjoyed swimming, racket sports, and aerobics. Racket sports in particular were associated with a 47 per cent reduction in death from any cause, compared to those who weren’t as fond of badminton or tennis.

No significant reductions in all-cause mortality, however, were observed for participation in cycling, football, or running.

Interesting stuff. So how did Surrey Live spin this decade-long study?

By opting for the headline: ‘People live longer by doing certain sports – but cycling isn’t one of them.’ No mention of football or running, just cycling. Typical.

Anyway, the site’s rather blunt headline only serves to obscure the nuances in the study, which noted that racket sports tend to encourage greater adherence to physical exercise, creating a positive impact on the health and mood of those taking part.

Focusing on the benefits of racket sports, lead researcher Daniel Amen said: “They live longer than everyone else because what coordination does is that it activates your cerebellum, 10 per cent of the brain volume in the back, and it is half of the neurons in the brain. If you activate that, you turn on the rest of your brain.”

But will they end up with fewer sick days? That’s the real question…

A cyclist who lost both his legs, after first detecting fatigue and pain in one during a bike ride, has joined a campaign aiming to raise awareness of preventable amputations.

The project AmpuNATION aims to highlight how many of the 3,000 amputations which take place in the UK each year are preventable, many of them resulting from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia (CLTI), or diabetes.

Karl Sweeney, a cyclist who also enjoys hiking and running, first experienced fatigue in his right leg while cycling near his home in Wallington, Sutton, in 2021.

“I was around three miles from home, when my thigh felt fatigued, so I just rested it for a second,” he told Surrey Live as part of the campaign.

“It was like having a dead leg, but I thought nothing of it at the time. But the following Monday as I was going to work, I had this horrible fatigue in my left leg.”

After seeking treatment through multiple hospital appointments – which his solicitors argue saw his “horrifying” condition “brushed under the carpet” for months – a blockage in his artery was eventually discovered. This led to stent surgery in the aim of improving blood flow to the leg, a common treatment for those with PAD, a form of cardiovascular disease usually caused by the build-up of fatty deposits in the walls of the leg arteries.

However, despite the surgery, Karl began to develop symptoms in his left foot, leading to his leg being amputated from the knee down in February 2023.

“My toes were turning numb on my left foot, and couldn’t get any feeling back. I went to the doctors and saw a few different practitioners, but there was nothing they could do, so they had to amputate,” he said.

The, during his rehabilitation, Karl began experiencing pain in his right leg, leading to its amputation last summer.

“It was a massive shock, but I had resigned myself to the fact that I would need the amputation because of the condition of my leg, and it was really painful,” he said.

“Then as I am recovering from the left leg the right one had problems and I had to start all over again.”

> Double amputee doctor says if she can cycle to work anyone can

While remaining positive about the future, Karl says he hopes taking part in the AmpuNATION project will increase awareness that could lead to earlier intervention and diagnosis for those with cardiovascular diseases.

According to research conducted at the University of Leicester, the 80 per cent of amputations could be prevented with earlier intervention, while the NHS could save £8 million a year if the percentage of major lower limb amputees with chronic limb-threatening ischaemia was reduced from 10 per cent to three per cent.

“Losing both legs has been a life-altering journey, and going through it during the pandemic only made it harder. With the right information and support earlier on, I could have been better prepared,” Karl, who said he aims to return to cycling and hiking in the near future, added.

“I hope that by sharing my experience, I can help others facing amputation know what to expect and the tools that have helped me to support me in this transition.

“I took part in this campaign as I wanted to raise awareness of the risks of these procedures. If it helps just one other person, I will be happy. I had no idea that this could happen to me. Greater awareness is needed if we’re going to help others and bring about change.”

Super Van der Poel soars through the air (and kicks out the back wheel as part of a nice display of showboating) in Hoogerheide yesterday, on his way to win number seven from seven races during a staggeringly dominant winter for the Dutch superstar:

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@ucicyclocrossworldcup)

Hang it in the Louvre.

> Cycle to work and you’ll need fewer sick days, new study suggests — as researchers find “further reasons for employers to encourage” cycling

As former Ineos rider Jhonatan Narváez started life in UAE Team Emirates colours in some style, beating Oscar Onley on Willunga Hill to tee up the overall victory at the Tour Down Under, Lidl-Trek’s Juan Pedro López was busy staking an extremely early claim for the stickiest sticky bottle (or bottles) of 2025:

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Eurosport Cycling (@eurosportcycling)

Sticky, sticky, sticky…

The Spaniard’s multiple (and rather brazen) prolonged tows from the Shimano neutral service motorbike duly earned him a disqualification from the Australian stage race for “irregular feeding” by the commissaires, along with a 500 Swiss Franc fine and a 100 UCI points deduction.

Taking to social media after the stage, the 2024 Tour of the Alps winner apologised for his unrelenting grip on Shimano’s neutral service bottle.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Juan Pedro López (@juanpelopez97)

“I want to say sorry to everyone for my action yesterday. I made a stupid decision in the heat of the race and regret it a lot. I take responsibility for my mistake and will learn from it,” López said.

But hey, look on the bright side. It’s nice to see Shimano helping out a Sram-sponsored team, eh?

The final – or so we thought at the time – cyclocross showdown of the winter between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert ended almost as soon as it began in Maasmechelen on Saturday.

Van Aert, riding only his fifth ‘cross race of a truncated season, was forced to overcome an early collision with the course fencing at the Belgian World Cup event, before making his way back up to, and even overhaul, world champion Van der Poel on the first lap – only to hit the muddy deck on a steep descent.

As the rainbow jersey disappeared into the distance, his 100 per cent record for the winter secure, Van Aert was forced to settle for second.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@ucicyclocrossworldcup)

But that brief, fleeting battle with his eternal rival, undone by a stroke of misfortune, appears to have lit a spark in the Visma-Lease a Bike star.

Because, after months of insisting that he wasn’t going to ride this year’s cyclocross world championships – in order to prioritise his recovery from the knee injury suffered at the Vuelta and prepare properly for a full-blooded spring classics campaign – last night, Van Aert performed a shock U-turn and announced he’ll be lining up in Liévin on Sunday after all.

Yes, that’s right – Van der Poel versus Van Aert at the worlds is on.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@ucicyclocrossworldcup)

“We’re thrilled to announce that Wout van Aert will compete in the cyclocross World Championships this Sunday!” the 30-year-old’s Visma-Lease a Bike team said in a statement.

“Motivated by his passion for the sport, Wout expressed his strong desire to be on the start line. After careful discussions, we fully support his decision and can’t wait to watch him give it his all at the worlds.”

“I’m feeling good, and my winter has gone well,” Van Aert, who will be aiming for his fourth elite world cyclocross title in northern France next weekend, said.

“The World Championships only recently came into my mind and after Maasmechelen the Belgian team coach, my coach at Team Visma-Lease a Bike, and I decided to compete.

“I am excited to start in such a beautiful race, and I think that this extra boost is doing me good in the lead-up to bigger goals on the road. Obviously, the preparation has been very different, but I’ll give it my best.”

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

While the last-minute decision is something of a surprise, given Van Aert’s indications that his 2025 preparations have been focused almost entirely on a successful spring classics season, Belgian national coach Angelo De Clercq had tellingly only named eight of his nine riders for the elite men’s race, leaving the door open for his country’s superstar attraction.

After going head-to-head on Sunday with Van der Poel – who is aiming for a record-equalling seventh world title, and looks ominously fresh after recovering from the broken ribs he suffered last month, taking back-to-back wins at Maasmechelen and his home race Hoogerheide at the weekend – Van Aert will kick off his road season at the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior on 17 February.

The 30-year-old will then ride the Volta ao Algarve later that week as part of his build-up for Belgian Opening Weekend.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

“Wout is a true cyclocross enthusiast. He indicated that he wanted to race. We discussed it, weighed everything together, and as a team, we fully support Wout,” Visma’s head of performance Mathieu Heijboer said in a statement.

Whatever the thought process behind it, Van Aert’s late U-turn – after months of denials – means cyclocross fans could be treated to a cracker on Sunday, between two of the sport’s greatest ever stars. Can’t wait.