World Cup bonus Van Aert comes in handy, Belgian still has to pull out purse heavily for former employer

Tuesday, 28 January 2025 at 13:58

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The past 24 hours have been dominated by news of the Cyclo-cross World Championship and Wout van Aert's surprise participation in the event, but there’s been another development: the Belgian rider has lost his case against former employer Nick Nuyens at the Court of Cassation, which is essentially the Belgian Supreme Court. On 2018, Van Aert terminated his contract to join Jumbo-Visma, but the move was deemed unlawful, leaving him ordered to pay 662,000 euros to his former employer, according to Sporza.

In 2018, before Van Aert made the switch to the Dutch team, his relationship with Sniper Cycling — where Nuyens was team manager — was already strained. At the time, Van Aert was showing great promise and was eager to move to the WorldTour. To facilitate his transfer to Jumbo-Visma, he invoked an urgent cause, but Nuyens claimed this constituted a breach of contract.

WorldTour dream leads to hefty damages for Van Aert

Nuyens initially demanded 1.1 million euros from Van Aert, along with additional compensation for damages caused to sponsors. The Belgian labor court sided with Nuyens at the time, imposing a termination fee of 662,041.31 euros. However, the case didn’t end there. "Knowing Van Aert, this won’t end here. It feels unjust. It’s very likely we’ll take this to the Court of Cassation," Van Aert’s top lawyer, Walter van Steenbrugge, said at the time.

And Van Steenbrugge turned out to be right, as the case indeed reached the Court of Cassation. On Monday, the final ruling was issued. "On January 13, 2025, the Court of Cassation ruled in the case of cyclist Wout van Aert against his former employer/team. The Court of Cassation rejected both parties’ appeals against the judgment of the Antwerp labor court on June 9, 2021," the Court declared.

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Wout van Aert

Van Aert's bonus for participating in the Cyclo-cross World Championships will come in handy

"With that judgment, the labor court ordered Wout van Aert to pay a termination fee of 662,041.31 euros because he unlawfully terminated his employment contract citing an urgent cause," the Visma | Lease a Bike rider was told today. The fee stands, meaning Van Aert will have to transfer a substantial sum to his former employer.

The multiple stage winner in the Tour de France and Vuelta is unlikely to lose much sleep over this ruling. On Sunday, his team announced in a press release that Van Aert will indeed compete in the Cyclo-cross World Championships in Liévin this coming Sunday. The Belgian, who already impressed last Saturday during the World Cup in Maasmechelen, is fully focused on the upcoming race.

In France, Van Aert is looking forward to an exciting showdown with his great rival, Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman admitted on Sunday that he was surprised by Van Aert’s decision to compete but expressed full confidence heading into the race. Van der Poel demonstrated last weekend why he’s considered the top favorite for the world title. Still, cyclo-cross fans are eagerly anticipating the clash with a determined Van Aert, which will make for a thrilling battle.

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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief

Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.

Bram van der Ploeg | Lindkedin | Email

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