It might sound like a joke, but it isn't in a nation where cycling is a religion, the first sport, the identity of a country. Wout Janssen, a 23-year-old podiatrist from Rijkevorsel, northeast of Antwerp, near the border with Holland, will be called up by national coach Angelo De Clercq for the Cyclocross World Championship in Hulst, Holland, on Sunday, February first. He is an elite category rider without a professional contract: he can race, it is allowed by regulations, but certainly in a nation that could field ten top-level cross riders, calling up a cyclist who is not a pro seems truly incredible. So much so that Janssen says: "I think it's fantastic that the national coach is thinking about me. I'll be free from 11:30, because I have a patient before". He even has a sense of humor...

Wout Janssen is a respected podiatrist, but as soon as possible, he frees himself from work commitments to dedicate himself to cyclocross. "In fact, I work part-time: on Mondays I work all day, because it's usually a rest day for a cyclocross cyclist. Tuesday is my day off, so I can train. In total, I work 22 hours a week".

The idea of the World Championships was born almost as a joke, but apparently Janssen would have all the credentials to be called up. "A teammate raised the issue a few weeks ago, saying I should be ready for the world championships. I thought he was crazy. It was my teammate Tom Meeusen who brought up the topic, then suddenly Laurens Sweeck withdrew, Wout Van Aert withdrew due to injury. And I started to hope, without really expecting it. Could this be the first time an elite rider without a professional contract is admitted to the World Championships? Maybe I'll make history".

The Flemish rider came to cyclocross almost by chance, because as a young boy he practiced athletics and at the time his coach was European champion Toon Aerts, who encouraged him to switch to cyclocross. "I was doing athletics, but when my knee started to bother me, my athletics coach advised me to switch to cycling and start racing in the Netherlands. That athletics coach was Toon Aerts. Thanks to Toon, cycling became my passion. Yes, I admire him, even more so after everything he's been through over the years. His perseverance is a source of inspiration and, thanks to Toon, I try to do everything I can for this".

Janssen was never a standout talent among young riders; he defines himself as a late bloomer. Because his studies always took priority. "If I ever want to buy a house, I need to earn something. Is it possible to do this with cyclocross? I think I can still make progress. But the spots are few and the teams are practically full. A potential call-up for the World Championships could be the ideal argument to convince some teams to hire me".

Janssen is a familiar face to most cyclocross enthusiasts, and everyone knows he works as a podiatrist. Lately, it's possible to see him at the front with the best group, and he has created a good number of fans who follow him. "If I'm in the second or even third row and a gap opens, I do everything possible to be the first to enter the passage to position myself better. I like to show myself to the general public, but I also do it to give visibility to our team. With Cyclis-Van den Plas, I'm in an ideal team that still wants to grow and is eager to become a professional team in every respect".