Van Aert eyes Canadian finale as season winds down
The last push can sometimes be the sweetest. Wout van Aert eased through the derny criterium in Wetteren on Monday, a light-hearted stopover before the serious business of his final races of 2025. The Belgian heads to Canada this week for the GP de Québec and GP de Montréal, intent on rounding out his season “with a good feeling.”
“Riding behind the motorbike is always a good training session, a good stimulus for the coming races in Canada,” Van Aert told VTM/Het Laatste Nieuws. “The races in Canada aren’t the most important of the year, but of course you always want to finish on a positive note. In Germany I could really help the team, and in Québec I hope I can go for a result myself.”
Van Aert has had to adjust his ambitions after a stuttering return from the Deutschland Tour, where he felt below par and ultimately skipped the Bretagne Classic in Plouay. “I wasn’t really ill, but I didn’t feel great. That’s why we decided not to race in Plouay. The past week I’ve been able to train well again, so I’m confident it will be fine.”
The 30-year-old Visma | Lease a Bike rider accepts that these last outings carry a different weight after the Tour de France. “Mentally it’s different when you can enjoy life more and the big goals are behind you,” he said. “I hope it gives me an extra percent towards next year.”
Canada offers one last chance to test his form before a home stretch that takes in the Super 8 Classic and then, finally, rest. Unlike many of his peers, Van Aert will not fly to Rwanda for the World Championships. “Maybe I’ll regret it when I see it on television,” he said. “But you can’t do everything. After the Super 8 I’ll go on holiday with my family. Going away without a bike, I’m really looking forward to that.”
Van Aert knows that decompression is part of the rhythm of a rider’s life, but even so, he wants to finish on a note of purpose. “In Hamburg and Germany, I noticed I only enjoy cycling when I’m at a certain level. If I can’t compete for the prizes, it’s not much fun. In the Deutschland Tour I felt things were going in the right direction and I enjoyed it. The goal now is to end the season well, even if the most important part of the year is already done.”
