“I have lost count by now” - Wout van Aert back on the bike after illness

Wout van Aert is back in the saddle just days before the start of the Tour de France. Towards the end of last week, it emerged that the Belgian star had been forced to skip his national championships due to illness, raising concerns about his readiness for cycling’s biggest race, which kicks off in only four days.

On Tuesday, Van Aert shared some encouraging news by uploading a 105-kilometre ride on largely flat roads to Strava. It offered the first sign that he’s on the mend and pushing to be fit in time for the Grand Départ in Lille.

Van Aert himself acknowledged on Strava just how often he’s had to claw his way back after setbacks in recent years. The Belgian has endured a string of crashes and illnesses that have repeatedly interrupted his seasons. “I have lost count by now,” is how he put it, summing up the constant battle.

Earlier in 2025, Van Aert fell ill ahead of his much-anticipated debut at the Giro d’Italia, yet still managed to win a stage there and support Simon Yates to victory. His 2024 season, meanwhile, was heavily disrupted by crashes, adding to a run of tough luck that seems never-ending. The question is will we see the best of Van Aert over the next three weeks, and can he pick up his first Tour stage win since 2022?