Van Aert swaps tarmac for brutal gravel trails after Tour de France blow
Wout van Aert has taken his preparations for the Vuelta a España and the World Championships off road, completing a demanding gravel ride through the Italian Alps as he continues his return from the elbow injury that ruled him out of the Tour de France.
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Footage from the training session showed the Belgian tackling steep and technical mountain trails covered with loose rocks. “Serious rock garden,” Van Aert said as he made his way across one of the roughest sections.
Despite the difficult terrain, the Visma | Lease a Bike rider appeared relaxed and was seen smiling as he guided his gravel bike along the narrow paths.
Van Aert completed approximately 104 kilometres and 3,400 metres of climbing, with large parts of the route taking place away from paved roads.
The 31-year-old is currently preparing for his return to competition after an elbow injury ruled him out of the Tour de France. It is the first time in eight years that Van Aert has not taken part in the French Grand Tour.
His next major objective is the Vuelta a España, which begins on 22 August. Van Aert will head into the race with ambitions of winning stages, while also using the three week Grand Tour to fine tune his form ahead of the World Championships in Montréal.
The Canadian course is expected to suit versatile riders who can cope with repeated short climbs. That makes it an appealing target for Van Aert, although Tadej Pogačar is likely to be the man to beat.
A shared leadership role with Remco Evenepoel, who will also be targeting the rainbow jersey, could give Belgium more tactical options as they look to prevent the Slovenian from claiming a third consecutive world title.
It will not be Van Aert’s first appearance at the Vuelta. He also competed in the race in 2024 after a serious crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen brought his spring campaign to an abrupt end. During that Vuelta, he won three stages and held a commanding lead in the points classification before another heavy crash caused a significant knee injury and forced him into another lengthy rehabilitation period.
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