In recent months, Niels Albert secretky dreamed of a comeback despite his heart problems. "But I won't make. I have made the decision after talking with a pediatric cardiologist," writes the dual world champion in the Het Laatte Nieuws. "Only now I understand how serious my problem is."

In May, Niels Albert created a shock in the cyclo-cross scene: he announced his retirement due to serious heart problems. He has stayed in the cycling world as sports director of the Vastgoestservice team where he has been successful with Wout van Aert. But apparently he was making comeback plans until last week. He reveals his secrets in his column in Het Laatste Nieuws.

"It's final: I will never ride again," Albert makes clear right from the beginning. "I have known that for a week, after a long chat with Professor Marc Willing, an authority in pediatric cardiology."

"Only now - six months later - I fully understand how serious my problem, and here I will confess: until last Monday, I still believed in a comeback.

"The more I thought about it, the more realistic it seemed. Now I know it was just wishful thinking. The new uppercut has one big advantage: Now my recovery process can really start. And I can focus on my team leadership at Vastgoedservice and my bike shop more than ever.

"I had already started that process. And I thought that I was already pretty far. But with the start of the season, the flame suddenly started to burn again again. I heard that Klaas Lodewyck who I thought has a similar problem, underwent successful surgery.

"I made plans: after the season, I also wanted to undergo surgery after which I gradually would increase the training. Due to my talent, I would be in top form at the start of the cyclocross season after a good summer. I filled myself with courage. One year of fun. But it won't be so.

"But last Monday - November 24 - my dreams dreams fell apart. Quite by accident. I was in Gasthuisberg for a project where Professor Willing took me aside. He collaborates with Professor Heidbuchel and knows about my situation.

"The professor was the first who could explain to me in plain language what my problem meant. He works with children up to 16 years which is likely to be the reason,

"'You have two problems,' he told me. 'The extra heart beats and the creation of scar tissue. The extra heart beats are not life-threatening if you undergo successful surgery. But you have to be careful with that scar tissue.'

"'Compare it with a car," he said. "Rour rivals ride with a six-cylinder motor while you have to do it with a four-cylinder motor. This means that you have actually been able to produce less horsepower than your rivals.

"With your talent, you can still compensate a bit for that but only when hte conditions are 100 percent favorable: on your course and on a super day. You can no longer succeed two days in arow. Furthermore, your will exhaust your heart to compensate for that. If you keep doing that, you risk not reaching the age of 60.'

"That was a hard pill to swallow, especially when he said that I will be very lucky if I reach the age of 80. The only thing that is still possible, is recreational sports, with beta blockers.

"That was it ... You can guess how I felt on the way home. On the other hand, I can now finaly put an end to it. As my mom told me afterwards: 'Forget about it, Niels. Find the peace you need.'

"This week I'm in Calpe with Van Aert and the other teammates. Next week I am back at the opening of my store. No more worrying. Finally I have peace in my head."