Wout van Aert has changed a lot, will have work against Thibau Nys: "He looks like that guy from that movie"

Van Aert has never been so heavy

Wout van Aert has never been so heavy in the winter of his career. The Belgian all-rounder weighs 82 to 83 kilos, five more than in previous seasons. That is remarkable, because his weight used to never exceed 78 kilos, even in the summer. "I've never gone into a season with so many kilos," Van Aert said.

Van Aert knows why he has put on weight. "I've been training a lot for cyclocross, partly because I'm riding the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix next year. I wanted to build up as much power as possible for those races," he explained.

Van Aert may have problems against Nys

Van Aert will have to watch out when he faces Thibau Nys in the coming period. Nys has been in excellent shape lately, and has improved both in the sand and on the climbs. His new team, Baloise Trek Lions, is also a plus for Nys.

"Thibau has grown up, both physically and mentally. He has become a lot stronger in the sand. In the past, he was sometimes dropped in the sand. But he has improved that now. He is also better on the climbs," Van Aert said.

"Nys looks like that guy from that movie"

Van Aert even compared Nys to the character Rocky Balboa from the movie series of the same name. "He looks like that guy from that movie. He's getting more and more muscular," Van Aert said.

Van Aert knows that he will have to work hard to beat Nys this season. "I will have to be in top shape to beat him. I will not underestimate him. He is one of the best riders in the world," he said.