Wout van Aert makes surprise return to racing after Paris-Roubaix triumph

The Visma | Lease a Bike rider is set to line up in Limburg, where he will take on the gravel event Marly Grav that forms part of the UCI Gravel World Series. It will be his first competitive appearance since conquering the cobbles of Roubaix, a win that ended one of the longest running pursuits of his career.

Van Aert was already spotted in the region on Friday according to Wielerflits, where he explored parts of the route together with sports director Maarten Wynants and former teammate Nathan van Hooydonck.

He will not be the only major name on the start list. Florian Vermeersch is also expected to race, wearing the rainbow jersey as the reigning gravel world champion. For Van Aert, the surroundings are familiar. 

Valkenburg has already played a part in some of his biggest moments, including the 2018 cyclocross world title and his victory at the Amstel Gold Race in 2021.

A move onto gravel is not entirely new for him either. In 2023, Van Aert lined up at the Gravel World Championships in Veneto. That day, however, his race was derailed early by bad luck, preventing him from playing a major role. He eventually finished eighth, almost nine minutes behind winner Matej Mohorič.

For Van Aert, Sunday’s start is another sign that Roubaix has already been given its place. He enjoyed the victory, took a short break and spent a few days away from the bike, but the pause did not last long. As he recently told Domestique, after a week of doing nothing, the routine had already started to pull him back in.

A world title on the road is still one of the big ambitions left on his list. “I dream of winning a world title one day,” Van Aert said. “To wear that jersey again. I have a few at home, and I was able to race in them for a few years, but that is a long time ago. To achieve that again would be fantastic.”

He knows, however, that a victory in Montréal is not straightforward. “It will be extremely difficult,” he admitted. “If Pogačar is in his best form, he is always very, very difficult to beat,” Van Aert said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not very motivated.”

The Tour de France is the next major target that already feels more concrete. Van Aert spoke openly about the opening weekend, where Visma | Lease a Bike have the team time trial circled in red. “I already have my mind set on the opening weekend,” he said. “I don’t think there will be a huge number of chances for me on this route, but in the first weekend, I think there will be.”