Wout van Aert is approaching 2026 as a season of breadth rather than a single storyline, setting out a programme that runs from the opening weekend in Belgium through to a late-summer block built around the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España and the World Championships in Canada.
Now entering his eighth season with Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the 31-year-old described his goal in familiar terms – to be present everywhere, and ready to take opportunities as they appear – but with two notable changes to his spring: a return to Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo.
Spring: “from Omloop all the way through to Roubaix”
Van Aert’s spring statement is as much about consistency as it is about targets. He wants to cover the full arc of the classics campaign, rather than dip in and out.
“In the spring, I want to be there from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad all the way through to Roubaix. I want to show myself everywhere and seize every opportunity that comes my way,” he said.
He added that, while the Monuments remain the main goals, he does not see other races as secondary obligations.
“Of course, monuments like Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo remain the main objectives of the season, but every other race I start also means a great deal to me.”
Photo Credit: GettyThe key change: back to Strade and San Remo
The most revealing detail in Van Aert’s preview is that he will return to the Italian classics he has missed in recent seasons.
“Unlike recent seasons, I’ll be back on the start line of the Italian classics Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo,” he said.
His reasoning for Strade is rooted in evidence rather than nostalgia. After winning in Siena during last year’s Giro d’Italia, he felt reassured that the white roads still match his skill set even as the race evolves.
“After my victory in Siena during last year’s Giro d’Italia, I realised that Strade Bianche, despite the changes to the course, still suits my qualities very well,” he explained.
He also framed both races as personal favourites, not simply strategic additions.
“I consider Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo to be among the most beautiful races of the season, so I definitely don’t want to miss them in 2026.”
Summer: team time trial focus and stage hunting at the Tour
After the classics, Van Aert’s summer objectives pivot towards the Tour de France, with the build-up including the Critérium du Dauphiné, renamed from 2026 as the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
When he looked at the Tour route, one detail stood out immediately: the opening team time trial, which echoes the start of his first Tour in 2019.
“When I look at the Tour de France route, the team time trial immediately stands out to me,” he said. “My first Tour in 2019 started with a team time trial in Brussels, and we won it. That’s still a very special memory for me.”
He expects both collective and individual opportunities in July.
“For the coming season, we’ll have a strong line-up and I also see a number of opportunities to go for stage wins myself,” he added.
Photo Credit: GettyVuelta: “unfinished business” after 2024 exit
Van Aert’s late-summer direction is clear: he will ride the Vuelta a España after the Tour, returning to a race he left unfinished in 2024 when he was forced to abandon while leading both the points and mountains classifications.
“I still have unfinished business in the Vuelta,” he said, smiling at the memory of a difficult exit. “It was a painful exit in 2024, but I’ll return with a lot of motivation.”
He also framed the Vuelta as a platform for something bigger later in the year.
“As a team, we can certainly achieve something special there,” he said. “In addition, the World Championships in Canada have been on my mind for a long time. I see the Vuelta as an ideal preparation to be at my best level there.”
A monument dream, but the deeper goal is a clear run
Van Aert did not hide the scale of what he still wants from his career, but he phrased it with restraint. A Monument remains the headline ambition, yet the deeper wish is for a smoother season than recent years have allowed.
“Winning a monument in 2026 would be the icing on the cake of my career, but above all I hope to be able to race a consistent season,” he said. “The past few years have had their ups and downs, so my biggest dream is simply a carefree season. If that happens, the results will follow naturally.”
For a rider whose career has often been defined by intensity – across disciplines, across race types, across seasons – the most telling line is not about Roubaix or the Worlds. It is the desire for a year where nothing derails the plan before the racing has the chance to decide it.
