Campenaerts swaps Van Aert and the classics for Vingegaard: "Wout got nothing from me"

Campenaerts spent many years at Lotto Soudal primarily as a dedicated time trial specialist, but in recent seasons he also began to make an impression in the classics. From 2021 onward, he suddenly became a regular throughout the spring, with fourth place at Dwars door Vlaanderen in 2022 standing out as his best result. But he also showed his value in aggressive racing and in support roles for his team leaders.

That mindset changed in 2025. In his first year at Visma | Lease a Bike, the Belgian realised he never really found his place as a domestique for Van Aert in the classics. “I’ve ridden well there before, and with Wout we have a leader I get on with very well. But last year it just didn’t work. After every classic I drove home in the evening with a bag of ice pressed against my forehead.”

During the 2025 Vuelta a España, Campenaerts went to the Visma | Lease a Bike management to explain what had been on his mind. On the one hand there was still his love for the classics, but he also saw a hard truth. “In those races I lost confidence, and I also can’t really see what I was doing wrong, so it’s not easy to say how I can improve...”

The team and Campenaerts then decided not to force a search for solutions in the spring. The Belgian was simply removed from the classics group. “Last year, after the stage races, I drove home feeling euphoric every time. So why make it more difficult than it is? Wout also knows that in those races in 2025, he got nothing from me.”

In 2026, Campenaerts will focus mainly on stage racing, especially alongside Jonas Vingegaard. The two line up together at Paris-Nice on Sunday, but they are also expected to race both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France together this year. According to Campenaerts, that relationship only really grew during 2025. At Paris-Nice, he proved to Vingegaard that he could be “a unique domestique.”

Campenaerts now appears willing to give everything for his leader, even though the two men are very different personalities. They get on well, and for that reason his own ambitions have been pushed into the background. Or maybe not entirely. “If there’s still one thing that would make my heart beat faster, it would be a stage win in the Vuelta to complete the trilogy. But I still have to be selected for that...”