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Egads! Wout van Aert won a ‘cross race on a gravel bike

The Belgian won in Heusden Zolder rode a Cervélo Aspero to take his first win of the Christmas period

Wout van Aert on a gravel bike
December 29, 2023
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Wout van Aert clinched his fifth career win at the Superprestige Heusden-Zolder, prevailing in a thrilling duel with Eli Iserbyt of Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal…and he did it on a gravel bike. Despite relentless pressure from the Superprestige leader during the last two laps, Van Aert showcased his strength on the climbs and secured a narrow win on Wednesday.

As noted first by GCN, the Jumbo-Visma athlete decided to swap his Cervélo R5-CX for the Aspero.

Although the two bikes are similar–there are some notable differences between the machines.

Review: Cervélo Áspero-5

The R5-CX has narrow seat stays that come together at the seat tube and top tube, whereas the Aspero has much wider stays that attach lower on the seat tube.

The Aspero also has a thicker fork and can take tires of up to 40mm. However, that is moot for ‘cross racing since the UCI max is 33 mm.

The Aspero has a longer reach, enabling riders to have a more stretched-out position, despite a slightly increased stack height.

Wout van Aert on his Cervélo R5-CX in Antwerp

It’s not clear why van Aert decided to go with the Aspero. Heusden-Zolder was not a muddy slog–rather, a quick course, so he may have wanted something more suitable for the parcours. The Belgian previously race that Cervélo bike at the 2023 gravel worlds, although crashes and flats ruined his chance for a win. He finished 8th, behind winner Matej Mohorič.

There aren’t that many races left for van Aert this ‘cross season. He is doing a much shorter series of CX races this winer. “It is with a heavy heart, but it is a conscious choice to quickly make the transition to the road season and experience a quiet winter,” van Aert said in December. “The world championships are again at the beginning of February. I have already done the world championships-spring Classics combination, but now I choose something else. If Belgian championships had been held closer to the Christmas period, I would have liked to participate, but now it does not fit.”