'Unfinished business' - Van Aert changes Classics approach in 2026

After scaling back his March racing in favour of extended altitude camps for the past two years, Van Aert will line out at Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo before turning his attention to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, the two races he covets the most.

“In the spring, I want to be there from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad all the way through to Roubaix. I want to show myself everywhere and seize every opportunity that comes my way,” Van Aert said in a statement released by his Visma | Lease a Bike team on Tuesday. 

“Unlike recent seasons, I’ll be back on the start line of the Italian classics Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo.”

Van Aert, whose cyclocross campaign was ended by a fractured ankle, will begin his road season at Omloop Het Nieuwblad on February 28 before lining up at Strade Bianche the following week. 

Remarkably, it will be Van Aert’s first appearance at Strade Bianche in five years. He finished on the podium in 2018 and 2019 before winning the pandemic-delayed edition of 2020, but he has not participated since he finished fourth in 2021. The new, extended parcours has been the preserve of Tadej Pogacar in recent years.

“After my victory in Siena during last year’s Giro d’Italia, I realised that Strade Bianche, despite the changes to the course, still suits my qualities very well,” Van Aert said. “I consider Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo to be among the most beautiful races of the season, so I definitely don’t want to miss them in 2026.”

In between, Van Aert will ride Tirreno-Adriatico, where he has impressed over the years, while in April he will chase an elusive victory at the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix after repeated heartbreak in the cobbled Monuments over the years.

“Of course, Monuments like Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix and Milan–San Remo remain the main objectives of the season, but every other race I start also means a great deal to me,” said Van Aert.

As ever, Van Aert will switch into stage racing mode in the summer, and he will enjoy the freedom to chase stage wins at the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes (formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné), with Jonas Vingegaard recovering from the Giro d’Italia and Matteo Jorgenson targeting the Tour de Suisse.

In July, Van Aert is set to be a key member of Vingegaard’s supporting cast at the Tour de France, while he will also return to the Vuelta a España in August. He acknowledged that he has an unsettled account in Spain after he crashed out of the 2024 Vuelta while leading the points classification.

“I still have unfinished business in the Vuelta,” Van Aert said. “It was a painful exit in 2024, but I’ll return with a lot of motivation. As a team, we can certainly achieve something special there. In addition, the World Championships in Canada have been on my mind for a long time. I see the Vuelta as an ideal preparation to be at my best level there.”

Van Aert has been plagued by ill fortune in recent years, most notably with the two heavy crashes that interrupted his 2024 season and compromised the early part of his 2025 campaign. 

Despite suffering another setback when he fractured an ankle in the Exact Cross in Mol on January 2, Van Aert struck an optimistic note about the new year in the opening press conference at Visma's media day on Tuesday.

“I’m confident it will heal quickly,” Van Aert said, according to Het Nieuwsblad. “The fact that my cyclocross season is over was a big blow, but I hope to be able to say in a few months that it hasn’t ruined my road season. Time is on our side. I hope to be completely ready. Now that I’m back on the bike, I’m confident it will be fine.” 

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• Ferrand-Prévot embraces favourite status as Visma | Lease a Bike look ahead to 2026
• 'I've been close to burning out' - Vingegaard respects Simon Yates' retirement decision