Wout van Aert to wear special helmet at Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, backed by Belgium’s top athletes

Wout van Aert has been a Red Bull partner for quite some time. Even after the energy drink brand started sponsoring its own team, the Belgian rider of Visma | Lease a Bike remained tied to Red Bull. The brand has now ensured that he will race the coming weekends with a special helmet. With support from several well-known Belgian athletes, Van Aert will stand out even more than usual.

Van Aert spent his first years at Jumbo-Visma riding with a standard helmet, but since 2022 he has been linked to Red Bull. That meant he appeared with a real Red Bull helmet for the first time that year at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a race he immediately won. It certainly seemed to give him wings: his famous albatross-style victory celebration in that year’s Tour also came from his sponsor.

By now, the silver-and-blue helmet has become a familiar part of the 31-year-old Belgian’s look. But fans will still need a moment to adjust when he lines up for the upcoming Tour of Flanders with a new lid. It was a special gift from Red Bull, created in collaboration with other top athletes supported by the brand.

Thanks to Nafi Thiam (heptathlon), Thierry Neuville (rally), Marten Van Riel (triathlon), Liam Everts (motocross), Lucas and Sacha Coenen (motocross), Lore Bruggeman (skateboarding), Kenny Belaey (trial bike), Maxime Richard (kayak), Felix Denayer (hockey), Thomas de Dorlodot (paragliding) and Cedric Dumont (wingsuit), Van Aert received a remarkable present.

The athletes each put their thumbprint on the helmet of their fellow Belgian. “That way, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for you!” was the message. “Give everything you’ve got and enjoy it. We support you, as always!” A small selection of those elite athletes personally handed over the helmet. “Lovely. Really nice that you came to bring it in person,” a smiling Van Aert said in the Red Bull video. He will also wear the helmet at Paris-Roubaix.