Wout van Aert, known for his candid humour, has laid out his aspirations for 2025, aiming to steer clear of the mishaps that marred his 2024 season. After enduring two significant crashes and the resultant injuries, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider is determined to stay on his bike, particularly during the Classics and Tour de France sprints. During an interview with Sporza at his home near Antwerp, he expressed his goals: “I want to participate in the races I love and avoid watching them from the sidelines.”
Van Aert, who will turn 30 in September, dreams of adding a victory at the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix to his achievements in 2025. “I dream of being able to look back in a year and have a victory at the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix. That is my priority,” he mentioned, highlighting the personal significance of these races in his career.
Advocating for gear restrictions
Following a crash during Dwars door Vlaanderen at nearly 70km/h, while riders jostled for position before the Kanarieberg climb, Van Aert has raised concerns about safety. Though the climb has been removed from the 2025 race, he believes imposing gear restrictions in professional races could enhance safety. “It’s sparked an interesting debate among the riders because cycling is getting faster. Limiting the gears would make the sport a lot safer, in my opinion,” he explained.
The removal of gear restrictions for Junior riders by the UCI in January 2023 has seen professional riders opting for larger chainrings. Despite this, Van Aert argues that pre-race checks and gear limits could be beneficial. “If you are on that descent with a gear limit, no one can move up. Now the gears are so big that you still think about overtaking,” he said.
Overcoming injuries in 2024
Van Aert’s second major incident occurred at the Vuelta a España after a promising comeback, marked by his performance at the Tour de France and silver in the time trial at the Paris Olympic Games. Despite winning three stages, he collided with a rockface on stage 16, resulting in severe cuts and knee damage, leaving visible scars. “The fall wasn’t serious at all. The bad luck was that there was a rock face. It literally cut into me,” he recounted.
He faced a challenging rehabilitation process, choosing to scale back his cyclocross commitments this winter to focus on the spring Classics. “I had no desire to start that rehabilitation at all. That was a difficult period,” he confessed. Van Aert gradually resumed training in the off-season, rebuilding strength through gym work, finishing fourth at the Azencross in December. His next race will be the Superprestige Gullegem, but he will skip the Cyclocross World Championships, prioritising road racing as he approaches his 30th birthday.
Reflecting on his career and age, Van Aert remarked with a touch of humour, “I’m almost worn out in racing terms. But I don’t believe that, although the end is closer than the beginning. Though that birthday really hit home.” Despite setbacks, he remains optimistic about regaining his form, stating, “Talent doesn’t disappear, even after so many setbacks, I still reached a high level in the fall, so that will probably come back.”
