Wout van Aert confirms return to cyclocross with eight race programme for the 2025–26 winter

Wout van Aert will return to cyclocross competition over the festive period, with the Belgian star confirming an eight race schedule that runs from mid December through to the national championships in Beringen. The three time world champion has made selective winter appearances in recent years, using the intensity of cyclocross to sharpen his preparation for the spring classics, and 2025–26 will follow that same pattern.

The Team Visma Lease a Bike rider will line up at World Cup rounds in Antwerp, Dendermonde and Zonhoven, alongside X2O Trophy fixtures in Hofstade and Loenhout, the Superprestige event in Heusden Zolder, and Exact Cross Mol. His final outing will come at the Belgian Championships on 11 January.

Returning to a winter rhythm he values

Van Aert made clear that the Christmas block remains emotionally and physically important for him.
“The Christmas period is a phase of the cyclocross season that I always enjoy being part of,” he said. “The races themselves, the large numbers of supporters who come thanks to the holidays, and the fact that these races fit perfectly into my build up towards the major spring classics on the road.”

His last full tilt winter dates back to his three consecutive world titles between 2016 and 2018, but selective seasons since then have still shown his quality. Van Aert has collected World Cup victories in Benidorm and Dendermonde in the past two seasons, alongside dominant displays at Heusden Zolder, Essen and Gullegem.

Photo Credit: Getty

Belgian champion’s jersey back in reach

The opportunity to start the national championships again adds an extra layer of motivation.
“A championship jersey is always motivating,” Van Aert said. “It has been a while since I was able to start there, so I am happy it fits into my schedule now. I am looking forward to giving my best there and in the other races, and to meeting the supporters again.”

Van Aert last won the Belgian title in 2022. With five national crowns already to his name and a winter calendar that avoids overloading, the Beringen start is a welcome return to a race that once shaped the early phase of his career.

Photo Credit: Getty

Experience meets targeted preparation

Although he now splits his winter with greater caution, Van Aert’s cyclocross palmarès remains one of the most complete of his generation. His three rainbow jerseys sit alongside major series wins, including the World Cup overall, three Superprestige titles and three editions of the Trophy series. He has also collected 17 individual World Cup victories since 2014.

His recent record underlines his continuing sharpness. Across the 2023–24 and 2024–25 winters, he won in Benidorm, Essen, Heusden Zolder, Dendermonde and Gullegem, and took silver at the 2025 World Championships.

The return of Van Aert will inevitably draw further interest to the festive cyclocross calendar, especially given Mathieu van der Poel’s own early-season plans and the anticipation of another chapter in their long-running rivalry.

Wout van Aert’s 2025–26 cyclocross schedule