Wout van Aert turns down Worlds after long season

The Belgian will return from his post-Tour break for his first-ever Deutschland Tour, followed by the Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France, which he won in 2022, the GP de Québec and GP de Montréal, and the Super 8 Classic. The schedule, confirmed by Team Visma | Lease a Bike, will mark the end of a campaign in which he took stage victories in both Grand Tours and climbed to fourth in the UCI rankings.

“It’s been a great year, with major goals coming in quick succession,” Van Aert says in the statement from Team Visma | Lease a Bike. “As in most years, the spring classics and the Tour de France were my main objectives. I’m also happy that I finally got to experience the Giro. That variety – the same reason I rode the Vuelta for the first time last year – is something I need and find very motivating. At the same time, after such a packed season, it’s important not to overdo it. That’s why we’ve decided to finish after the Super 8 Classic and skip both the Worlds and Europeans.”

The decision ends speculation after Belgium’s national coach Serge Pauwels revealed he still hoped to convince Van Aert to make the trip to Rwanda. Pauwels described the course, held above 1,400 metres and packed with short, punishing climbs, as one that could suit the all-rounder, but admitted it was “more likely no than yes”. 

In his own assessment after Van Aert’s decision, Pauwels said the choice was understandable. He noted that Rwanda’s altitude and heat required a specific build-up and that Van Aert “really needs a good preparation period towards next year” rather than extending the current campaign.

Ultimately, Van Aert opted out, deciding that adding the World Championships on top of a season that began with rehab, ran through cyclocross, the Spring Classics, the Giro and the Tour would simply be too much.