Wout van Aert's off-season comes to an end: Belgian cyclocross rider talks about the winter season and major goals for 2027
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleWout van Aert's off-season is over. The Belgian rider from Visma | Lease a Bike wrapped up his season a few weeks ago at the World Cycling Championships in Canada, after which he took a well-deserved vacation. He’s now back in action, as he demonstrated on Tuesday via the virtual cycling platform Rouvy.
ADVERTISEMENT
Read more below the photo!
Wout van Aert has enjoyed success this year
Year of great success, and some misfortune, comes to an end
Van Aert had a banner year, during which he won Paris-Roubaix, as well as several stages, and the points classification in the Vuelta a España, to name a few.
At the same time, he also had his share of misfortune: he started 2026 with a crash and a broken ankle at the cyclocross race in Mol, which ended his cyclocross season, and he also had to miss the Tour due to an elbow injury.
Read also
Van Aert has renewed ambition for the coming season
Looking ahead to 2027, there’s renewed ambition after a period of rest. Van Aert was in Ibiza just last week, following an earlier “family vacation” in the Western United States. “After the World Championships, we went to California for a nice road trip with my family. I had a great vacation, so I’m in a good mood, ” said the Belgian.
"I've fully recovered mentally, and that's what matters most. I've done fun things and made wonderful memories," says the Belgian. "For me, it really comes down to the simple things: mostly spending time with my family—the basics. But I also love good food and good wine, which you have to be careful with during the season."
Read more below the photo!
Van Aert was in Ibiza last week.
Van Aert on the cyclocross season and his goals for 2027
While we don't yet know whether Mathieu van der Poel will be racing cyclocross this winter, Van Aert confirmed once again that we will definitely be seeing him.
“I’ll be doing some cyclocross races, just like every winter. I’m really looking forward to it, but I can’t say yet where or when I’ll start.”
Van Aert explains how it works. “We need to take all my goals for 2027 into account and come up with a solid plan. I still need to sit down with the team and my coach to discuss that. But I can’t wait to get started,” he assures us.
Read more below the photo!
The Belgian has confirmed he will be back to race cyclocross
What about goals on the road for 2027?
Speaking of those 2027 goals: “It’s easy to name my main goal: the Tour of Flanders is a race I dream of winning and haven’t won yet, so I’ll keep aiming for it. Just like the World Championships. At some point, my time will be up, but it’s nice to still have those goals. It keeps me motivated.'
"It's also something I've learned over the years—that I need to keep setting those goals," said Van Aert. "If I go too long without a goal—even if it’s just a subgoal—I lose my focus. So it’s not just the process, but the goal itself that motivates me," said the Belgian.
Read also
Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
IDL-productions
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition
Rumours, speculation and guesswork: 2027 Tour de France route will be revealed live on October 22 in Paris
Vollering adds the Women’s European Championships road race jersey to her rainbow wardrobe
16-day Grand Tours, AI, VAR, drones and more: The UCI's new document has a potentially major impact from 2029 onwards
Latest Cycling News
Tadej Pogačar to skip Paris-Roubaix in 2027: 'The easier it becomes to stay away from racing'
Valgren's departure sees Danish contingent at EF Education-EasyPost completely disbanded: 'I’ve come full circle'
Here's what we think we know about the 2027 Tour de France ahead of tomorrow's official reveal
Richard Carapaz may be gone, but EF have big plans for their riders next season: 'They have more space'
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe preparing Evenepoel for Paris-Roubaix, and facing Pogačar: 'We have to be ready if he stumbles or makes a mistake'
Popular Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | The road season has ended, but the transfer market is in full swing
Marcel Kittel, Wout van Aert, and Marianne Vos partied at a cycling festival in Ibiza: 'To avoid a major hangover'
Greg LeMond on Pogačar, Seixas and living with cancer: 'He is the next Hinault'
Wiggins Jr. gets his call up to the Jayco AlUla WorldTour team, alongside 3 other emerging talents
Tom Pidcock pays special tribute to retiring brother Joey, but isn't totally happy: 'We had to settle for second place'
Latest Comments
- TotalEnergies’ sponsor situation makes this whole race for an invitation feel a bit academic unless they can secure funding. Hope they get it sorted—I’d love to see more teams get a crack at the Tour.cadencekingm21-10-2026
- Why do some teams get automatic invitations while others need a wildcard? Is it mainly based on their ranking from last year?robert6521-10-2026
- The paperwork deadline matters, but it’s odd that the UCI hasn’t explained what happens if a licence is vacated. Surely teams should know the process before the season is underway?velodromevirtuoso121-10-2026
- A guaranteed Tour start for the Rockets would be massive. Groenewegen has already shown he can deliver at WorldTour level, and the team looked well up to it at the Giro.gearguru3321-10-2026
- Pinarello-Q5 have made a strong case on the road, but a mid-cycle promotion would be messy if the UCI’s rules for filling a vacant licence aren’t clear. The riders and staff need certainty soon.jennifer1921-10-2026
- - The bike may be quick, but the article seems a bit too ready to credit the equipment for the result. Remco’s the one producing those watts—though I’ll admit, two minutes is a pretty convincing test ride.jennifer1918-10-2026
- - I’m still learning how time trials work: if Evenepoel caught Jay Vine, does that mean Vine started earlier, and do riders set off at fixed intervals?tourdeforce918-10-2026
- - A flat Tour TT on these roads would be brilliant viewing. Wide, fast courses really let the specialists show what they can do.davidm18-10-2026
- - Fourteen wins in a season is some going. He sounded focused on his own effort rather than the riders ahead, which is exactly the mindset you want in a race against the clock.michael5418-10-2026
- - Catching Vine and putting over two minutes into him is an enormous statement. That new Specialized clearly suits Remco—keen to see how it performs over a longer Tour time trial.raceready718-10-2026
Loading