Wout van Aert hints at Tour de France return despite limited opportunities

“The opening time trial and the stage in Barcelona were already known, and I was really looking forward to those,” Van Aert told Sporza. “Apart from that, maybe there are slightly fewer stages that suit me 100 percent, but if I’m at my best, I can perform well on many terrains. That’s the goal.”

The 2026 route offers few clear opportunities for all-rounders like Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, making his potential participation all the more intriguing. “I can’t promise anything yet, because those talks with the team still have to take place. But I do have the ambition to be there,” he added.

Van Aert last won a Tour stage on the Champs-Élysées, dropping Tadej Pogačar on Montmartre in one of the standout moments of the season. His focus now shifts to preparing for a return to top form after a brief off-season.

“For a criterium my legs are good enough, but for a real cross I still need some training,” he joked at Tim Declercq’s farewell race in Hooglede. 

“Over the next few weeks, I still have a few commitments, and then the real work begins. I want to wait a few weeks of training to see when it makes sense to start racing again. There’s another long road season ahead, so we need to plan wisely.”

Declercq’s farewell gave Van Aert a relaxed setting to pin on a number again. “Tim has become a good friend in the peloton. I was free this weekend, and that helped. It’s nice to celebrate his farewell together. Things can get intense in the peloton, but friendships go beyond teams, and we also share some mutual friends.”

Reflecting on Declercq’s role in the peloton, Van Aert was full of praise. “Everyone knows how strong he is and how hard he can pull at the front. He’s almost a dying breed, someone who gives everything for his teammates. The general public might not always realise how important a rider like him is, but everyone in the peloton knows his value.”