Leuven (Belgium) (AFP)

In the country of Eddy Merckx, the "Cannibal" of cycling, the Belgian Wout van Aert feeds all the fantasies and raises the crowds a few days before the Worlds of which he will be the favorite.

It often only takes a spark to ignite Belgium, this land of cycling constantly in search of idols and spoiled at this level by the years Museeuw then Boonen and Gilbert.

But it always takes more to satisfy the ever-growing supporters, as the World Time Trial Championships last Sunday between Knokke and Leuven showed.

The Knokke dyke, on the North Sea, had never seen so many people, chanting "Wout! Wout!"

43 kilometers further, the fans were disappointed.

Van Aert, 2nd, failed five seconds behind Italian Filippo Ganna.

"One more silver medal. One too many. I no longer count them. Besides, I no longer dare to count them. It depresses me", said the Flemish, ... second in the road race of last Olympics.

But van Aert is not a new Poulidor who could be summed up in his second places, especially when he has to lose in cyclo-cross against his great rival, the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel.

This season, the native of Herentals (land of the legendary Rik Van Looy) has stacked the successes (13) including Gand-Wevelgem, the Amstel Gold Race and three stages of the Tour de France on three different terrains (the Ventoux, the Champs Elysées, a time trial).

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For the past week, the dailies in northern Belgium have only been talking about him.

Wout van Aert leads the field during the Tokyo Games in Oyama, July 24, 2021 Tim de Waele POOL / AFP / Archives

Even his arrival at the hotel of the Belgian delegation was considered to be information in its own right.

On Wednesday evening, during a gala evening on the sidelines of the Worlds, UCI President David Lappartient, legend Eddy Merckx and Philippe I, King of the Belgians, spoke at length about the van Aert case.

The latter will also be received Monday at the royal palace with the other Belgian medalists of these Worlds.

This is to say the aura of the boy, pure Flemish but also adored in the south of the country because he often makes the effort to speak French.

An "all-terrain" rider, van Aert even gave birth to the idea that a Belgian would once again be the winner of the Tour de France.

The last being Lucien Van Impe in 1976.

A fantasy tempered by Merckx the day after his compatriot's success during the Ventoux stage last July.

"To win the Tour today, you need specific preparation. Even if Wout is doing very well in the mountains, his size penalizes him compared to pure climbers. Is he ready to lose a few pounds?", Commented the " Cannibal".

Wout van Aert in the victorious climb of Mont Ventoux during the 11th stage of the Tour de France in Malaucène, July 7, 2021 Thomas SAMSON AFP / Archives

"Not right away," replied van Aert, who first of all thinks of enriching his prize list by winning the monuments of his dreams, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders in the lead.

Sunday between Antwerp and Louvain, van Aert will be the sole leader of the Belgian selection.

Even the young phenomenon Remco Evenepoel has assured that he will put himself at his service.

© 2021 AFP