🛑 Wout van Aert Pulls the Plug Early on 2025 Season — Skips Worlds and Euros
Visma-Lease a Bike star ends campaign after Super 8 Classic in September
🇧🇪 Van Aert Shifts Focus to Rest and Recovery After Grueling Season
After months of high-intensity racing across Europe’s biggest roads, Wout van Aert is calling time on his 2025 campaign a little earlier than expected. The Belgian powerhouse has officially scratched his name off the start lists for both the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda and the European Championships, opting instead to wrap up his season on September 20 at the Super 8 Classic in Flanders.
The decision, confirmed by his team Visma-Lease a Bike, follows a demanding year packed with Grand Tour appearances, Spring Classics, and a heavy workload dating back to the cyclo-cross season.
“After such a packed season, it’s crucial not to overdo it,” Van Aert said in a team release. “We’ve drawn up a final set of goals that give me motivation, without pushing the limits too far.”
📆 What’s Left on Wout’s Calendar?
Before parking the bike for 2025, Van Aert will take on five more races:
- Deutschland Tour – August 20–24
- Bretagne Classic – Ouest-France – August 31
- Grand Prix de Québec – September 12
- Grand Prix de Montréal – September 14
- Super 8 Classic (Belgium) – September 20
It’s a program tailored for punchy one-day specialists — a style of racing where Van Aert continues to thrive.
🔁 No Rainbow Stripes This Year — Again
This marks the second consecutive year Van Aert will be absent from the Worlds. In 2024, a knee injury forced him out of the Vuelta a España and ultimately the Championships.
Though he’s come heartbreakingly close to World Championship glory several times — four silvers, including in Imola (2020), Leuven (2021), and Glasgow (2023) — the rainbow jersey will have to wait.
“It’s disappointing, of course,” Belgian national coach Serge Pauwels told Sporza. “Wout brings more than results — he’s a leader, a tactician, and a fighter. His absence will be felt.”
🔄 From Cross to Giro to Tour – A Full Calendar
Van Aert kicked off 2025 with a mini cyclo-cross block before turning to the road, hitting 56 race days including two Grand Tours: the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France — where he claimed a stage in each. He also raced an intense Spring campaign and supported Visma’s GC ambitions throughout the year.
That workload would stretch most riders to the edge. For Van Aert, it’s a matter of smart pacing — not burnout.
“I’ve ticked off so many bucket-list goals this year. Riding the Giro was a new experience that gave me extra drive, just like the Vuelta last year. I need that variety.”
🇧🇪 What’s Next for Belgium?
With Van Aert out, Remco Evenepoel becomes Belgium’s central figure heading into both Championships. The reigning Time Trial World Champion will race in both the road race and TT in Kigali, before flying to France for the European Championships in early October.
All eyes will now be on Evenepoel to chase rainbows once again — but the squad will be without one of its most dependable riders.
🚵♂️ Why Rwanda Will Be Brutal
The Kigali Worlds are shaping up to be among the most difficult in recent memory:
- Road Race: 267.5 km with over 5,475m of elevation gain
- Time Trial: 40.6 km with 680m of climbing
It’s a course built for climbers and puncheurs — perhaps a factor in Van Aert’s decision.
Wout van Aert’s decision to step back isn’t a retreat — it’s strategy. After another monster season, the Belgian knows when to hit the brakes. With a packed race calendar behind him and new goals ahead in 2026, it’s clear Van Aert is already playing the long game.
