Wout van Aert to Conclude 2025 Season Early, Missing Championships
Wout van Aert has announced that he will wrap up his 2025 cycling season with the Tour of Germany and several one-day races, as confirmed by his team Visma-Lease a Bike. Consequently, the Belgian cyclist will not participate in this year’s European and World Cycling Championships, reports 24brussels.
Van Aert reflected on a successful season, noting that his important goals came one after another. Following a challenging recovery from a crash during last year’s Vuelta a España, he achieved a strong comeback, securing stage victories in both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.
“After such a busy season, we have to make sure I don’t bite off more than I can chew,” he stated. “For that reason, we chose to end my season after the Super 8 Classic and skip the European and World Championships.”
His decision to withdraw creates a significant gap in the Belgian national team. National coach Serge Pauwels expressed disappointment, stating, “It’s a shame, of course. Someone like Wout could certainly have been a contender at the World Championship in Rwanda, if conditions were favourable. And if he could not have won himself, Wout would have been a very important pawn within the team.”
All Eyes on Evenepoel
In the meantime, fellow Belgian cycling star Remco Evenepoel is set to compete in both the European and World Championships. After being forced to abandon the Tour de France, Evenepoel is currently gearing up for the Tour of Britain in September. He will then travel to Rwanda for the World Championships later that month, followed by the European Championships in France in early October.
Evenepoel will take part in both the road race and the time trial events at these championships. Notably, he has held the time trial world champion title for the past two consecutive years. The cycling community is keenly watching how he will perform in Van Aert’s absence.
