Van Aert must disappoint national coach: Visma star officially skips World Cycling Championships in Rwanda

Visma announced this on Friday. Less than four weeks after the Tour de France, which he ended so fantastically with a magnificent victory on the Champs-Elysées, Van Aert will start in the Tour of Germany, which will be held between August 20 and 24. Later this month, he will make an appearance in the Bretagne Classic-Ouest France, a race he won in 2022.

After that, it will be time for a trip outside Europe: according to rumors, Van Aert would participate in the one-day classics in Canada, and these rumors have now been confirmed. Both the GP de Québec and the GP de Montréal are on the program for the man from Herentals. It will be his second time traveling to North America for racing: in 2022, he finished fourth in Quebec before taking silver in Montreal two days later. For the final race of his year, he will travel to his home country, where the Super 8 Classic will be his last race on September 20.

The World Championships in Rwanda on September 28 will therefore be skipped, much to the disappointment of national coach Serge Pauwels. He saw that Van Aert's performance on Montmartre was promising for the race in Kigali, but the Visma rider will not be starting. “It’s important to still set important goals for the last part of the season,” Van Aert said in a press release. “With this calendar, we’ve certainly succeeded. At the same time, after such a packed season, it’s crucial not to overdo it.”

"That's why we have decided to end my season after the Super 8 Classic and skip both the World Championships and the European Championships." The European Cycling Championships in the Ardèche will therefore also be skipped. There was also a nice course for the cyclo-cross rider there, but it no longer fit into the program.