"A race I dream of and am still missing" - Wout van Aert states his major goal for 2027 season and confirms Cyclocross ambitions
Cycling
Wout van Aert is enjoying time with his family after a 2026 season that saw the Visma | Lease a Bike rider hit one of the high points of his career as well as a setback that caused him to miss the Tour de France. Looking ahead, he has some lofty ambitions for 2027.
The Belgian rider won Paris Roubaix in April after several near-misses with the iconic monument, and has his sights sets on another elusive goal going forward.
After the World Championships brought an end to his season, the 32-year-old has been focused on recovery after a busy second part of the season saw him miss the Tour de France due to injury before bouncing back with a successful Vuelta a Espana campaign.
"I am fully recovered mentally, that is the most important thing. For me, it is actually about simple things: mainly spending time with my family, the basics," Van Aert told Het Nieuwsblad.
Wout van Aert
Van Aert's Cyclocross plan
Although the road season is officially over, the Flanders native is usually a fixture in the winter Cyclocross season. A multiple time World Cup and World Championships winner, Van Aert confirmed that he intends to return to the high-octane discipline.
He said: "I am really looking forward to it, but I cannot yet say where or when I will start."
Speaking about the 2027 season, Van Aert still has the fire in his belly despite realising his Paris Roubaix destiny. The Tour of Flanders is a race he dreams of and is yet to win.
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"A race I dream of"
"The Tour of Flanders is a race I dream of and am still missing, so I will keep aiming for that.
He added that a rainbow jersey is another major goal as he continues to race at the peak of his powers: "Just like the World Championships. At some point my time will be over, but it is nice to still have those goals. It keeps me fresh."
A Flanders win would be the third monument on the Belgian's pal mares after Roubaix this year and his 2020 Milano Sanremo victory. As well as his classics success, he has won ten Tour de France stages and five Vuelta a Espana wins.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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