Wout van Aert will end his cyclocross season at the Belgian national championships on Sunday, but insisted on the dunes of Middelkerke, near Ostend on the Belgian coast, that his record of eight wins in nine races does not mean he is an automatic winner.

Belgian national coach Sven Vanthourenhout predicted that the elite men's race would be over in half a lap due to Van Aert's clear advantage. However, his rivals include World Cup winner Eli Iserbitt, Michael Vanthourenhout, and Toon Artz.

"If that's what everyone thinks, today will be an easy day. But I am sure that Sunday will be the toughest of all the cross races I have run this season," Van Aert, who previewed the Middelkerke course before the junior and women's races, told Belgian media on Saturday.

"In the championships there are always athletes who can do something special. Of course, I'm the favorite to win, but the race is always just beginning, right?

"I'll try to do okay. I can only count on first place at the Belgian Championships. But I don't think anyone will go for second place at the start. It's never easy to win the championship."

Van Aert kicks off his cyclocross campaign with the Boom Superprestige race on December 4, with the Jumbo-Visma training camp on his schedule. While rival Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) struggled with a back injury, Van Aert got better and better, winning all but one race, the Hulst World Cup on January 2, when he suffered mechanical problems and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) Van Aert won every race except the Hulst World Cup on January 2, which was won by Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) after mechanical problems.

Despite a great chance to claim his fourth cyclocross world title, VanArt chose not to go to Fayetteville, USA for the World Championships. He is focused on the spring classics and is eager to train in Europe rather than fight jet lag.

Of course, he wants to finish the season with the Belgian title.

"I want to enjoy the last cross. It's been a great campaign and I want to end this one on a clean slate and turn my attention to the road season," he explained.

"Next week it will be clear what the road program will be. We need to make choices, like skipping the World Cyclocross Championships. That's what happened last year. It is also important to ensure mental peace. But first I want to grab the tricolor flag."

Van Aat did eight laps of Middelkerke, followed by 30 minutes of training on the road. He will spend the weekend on the beach with his wife Sarah and their one-year-old son Jorge. On Monday he will travel to Alicante to participate in Jumbo Visma's training camp and team presentation.

"It's a beautiful Belgian championship course. It has a beach section that reminds me of the World Cup in Ostend. It's a course that really dives into the dunes and I think it's well designed. It's always difficult to get a feel for a new course, but I think this one is perfectly fine."

"The wind definitely plays a part and makes it difficult when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. If you're at the wheel you have a real advantage."