'I really needed to go' — Van Aert laughs off a month's holiday and a mid-race toilet break with Marly Grav victory
CyclingSunday, 10 May 2026 at 15:44
Wout van Aert wasn't expecting all that much — but back on earth after his Paris-Roubaix high, the Visma | Lease a Bike Belgian still blew everyone away at the Marly Grav Race in South Limburg. He entered the UCI gravel event just one day before the race — and won solo.
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"This was simply a great opportunity to do a gravel race," Van Aert laughed before the start in Limburg on Sunday morning. "We're so busy the whole year, racing and preparing, so the chance to ride something this close to home — when I saw it on the calendar, I thought: why not?"
He did need to run it by Visma | Lease a Bike first. "But they thought it was a nice idea too," the Belgian explained. "I can show off a nice bike — though I only decided at the last minute. I had to really feel like doing it and I was expecting to have fun. I didn't have any expectations, because this past month I've been on holiday a lot more than I've actually been training."
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Van Aert set a high tempo from the start
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After the finish, Van Aert had to admit it had all gone rather more smoothly than perhaps expected. "I'm less tired than I was a month ago in Roubaix, but it was a tough day — and even though I enjoyed it, I did really suffer," he smiled, careful not to rub it in too much for the competition.
Because those rivals — including gravel world champion Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) — rode extremely strongly, according to Van Aert. "One of my goals today was to stay out of trouble — crashing here wasn't worth the risk. That's why I set a high tempo from the start, so I didn't need to take any chances. But the field was strong. After an hour and a half, barely anyone had been dropped."
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Van Aert even had time for a toilet break
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In the end, he says, it came down to "natural selection" — aided by the pace that the WorldTour riders in the field were setting. Van Aert was in the right group, and so much in command that he decided to stop for a nature break along the way. "I really needed to go — that's easier on the road than here. Everyone will admit that it's hard to concentrate on anything else when you're desperate."
After the break, the finale opened up and Van Aert rode clear of Vermeersch and the rest. He ultimately soloed 20 kilometres to the line. "I felt like I had something in my legs, so I waited for a hard moment in the race — and that turned out to be the right moment to go."
A surprising win, the winner himself emphasised to Het Laatste Nieuws: "It was a very tough race. In the final 10 kilometres the lights nearly went out. I didn't think I'd be able to compete for the win. This is a nice little bonus. I had a great time."
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World champion Wiebes wins from a tight spot
In the elite women's race, world champion Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx-Protime took the victory — though she too had to work hard for it. "The first hour was quite tough, because you always start fast on gravel. After that the tempo dropped a little, which meant we tried to make the difference on the descents. That worked, and we came away with a nice group."
In that group, Wiebes found herself outnumbered, the sole rider from her team against two pairs from other teams. "I was a bit in the sandwich — but the advantage was that I didn't have to ride full gas at the front the whole time; that was their job. I took my turns so the group kept rotating. And in the final phase, it was mainly about watching the others carefully."
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Latest Comments
- The only cyclist who can beat Tadej is Tadej.
Brucegel09-05-2026 - Enough of this b.s. already.Just tell the world all you suspicious people what would satisfy you that he is not doping.live real time urinating and testing?.Live real time blood draws 5 seconds after a race is over?.Fecal analysis.WTF will satisfy you?Brucegel03-05-2026
- This suspicion could be laid to rest by what? What would make all doubters happy that Pogi is clean? Just tell the world all you Frenchmen et al what you want as protocol.You will never be satisfied.That is your level of mindless groundless suspicions.Brucegel03-05-2026
- Here is a novel idea......it's a road bike race, stick to smooth asphalt courses! Cobble is like mild off-road cross riding!!!!Germanrazor14-04-2026
- To lose a race like that on a mechanical problem in this day and age is unforgivable. Why aren't all riders using the same (interchangeable) gear? It is the job of the team manager to manage and reduce risk variables. The fact that he not only didn't pick up on the potential issue but actually ok'd it is just madness.fatehasfans13-04-2026
- Rider X, y and z? Could you update?yaNzKEWL21-03-2026
- Can anyone help me understand the thinking behind the two punishments? Are the commissaires saying you get thrown out of the race for a second inadvertent disposal of a bidon (even to the delight of fans) but that as long as you can afford it you can show off your phalangeal cuticles all day long on international TV? Aking for a friend.packfiller7112-03-2026
- It's a bit embarrassing that. Isn't the main sponsor supposed to keep them at 36.5 ?tomjacques03-03-2026
- They were close to cracking a very tired Tadej that wasn't fully focused on the TdF with a team of riders focused solely on cracking Tadej. And if they cracked him, he would have still won. Tadej won't be racing the giro this year. It'll be an even easier win for him.Veganpotter09-02-2026
- Nice!Bea22-01-2026
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