Van Aert in Canada with 2026 Worlds already in mind
Wout van Aert is in Canada this week with an eye to the World Championships… in 2026. The Belgian has long since ruled himself out of the upcoming Worlds in Rwanda, but he has already circled next year’s event in Montreal as a target.
Speaking to Sporza ahead of his participation at the GP de Québec and the GP de Montréal, Van Aert cast his mind forward to the 2026 season.
“I wouldn’t rule out riding two Grand Tours again. I like the dynamic, with new opportunities every day,” Van Aert said. “But on the other hand, the World Championships in Montreal is already something I’m thinking about. We’ll take that into account in the build-up.”
Although the Montreal 2026 course hasn’t been formally unveiled, it is expected to take place on a course strikingly similar to the GP de Montréal circuit. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider laughed off the idea that he had travelled to Canada this year for a recon.
“Not necessarily, but it’s a bonus. I was last here in 2022. It’ll be fresher in my memory now,” said Van Aert, who missed last year’s Zurich Worlds through injury.
Van Aert has won three cyclocross world titles, but he has never worn the rainbow jersey on the road. He has silver medals in the road race from Imola in 2020 and Glasgow in 2023, as well as silver medals in the time trial from Imola and from Flanders in 2021.
“The World Championships will play a prominent role, even though the course has yet to be announced,” Van Aert said of his 2026 schedule. “There have been so many tough World Championships in recent years. I can’t skip them every year.”
After racing in Canada this weekend, Van Aert will end his season on home roads at the Super 8 Classic on September 20. His 2025 campaign has yielded just two victories, though both were prestige wins – he triumphed in Siena on the gravel stage of the Giro d’Italia and then beat Tadej Pogacar in a dramatic Tour de France finale over Montmartre. He also played a key role in Simon Yates’ last-gasp Giro win.
“Maybe I had hoped to be a bit more consistent or to win more races. But on the other hand, I won some very memorable races, those made up for a lot,” said Van Aert, who added that his 2026 preparation would begin in October after a “three or four-week” break.
Van Aert has yet to outline his cyclo-cross schedule, but he confirmed that he will race in the discipline over the winter.
“I can't say much about it yet, because we haven't talked about it yet. I do want to be more active in cyclocross again,” he said. “When, how, and what are all premature at the moment. But I will reassure people here and now that I will be racing cyclocross.”
