"Jeans day": Wout van Aert unwinds from Paris-Roubaix triumph with a gravel bikepacking trip

With his iconic victory at Paris-Roubaix, Wout van Aert's season is already a resounding success. Following his triumph at the Vélodrome, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader has opted for a well-deserved break, spending recent days tackling a multi-day bikepacking trip with friends through the Netherlands and Belgium.

Van Aert lives close to the Dutch border and frequently crosses into the Netherlands for his training rides. However, this week’s expedition is completely different from his usual structured training blocks.

While he is leaving the serious interval work behind, he certainly isn't sitting still. Alongside a group of friends, including former Visma teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck, Van Aert headed north on a gravel bike loaded with bikepacking bags.

Despite being on a "break," the group covered some serious distance during the first two days of their adventure, logging their rides on Strava.

The first day, starting in his hometown of Herentals, the group rode north through Schoten and Kalmthout, crossing the Dutch border at Huijbergen. They navigated through Bergen op Zoom before finishing near the coast in Schouwen-Duiveland. The opening leg took them just over six hours in the saddle.

The second day featured a scenic route south along the Zeeland coast. Passing the Oosterscheldekering (Neeltje Jans) and looping around Middelburg, they took the ferry from Vlissingen. Once back on dry land, they continued along the coastline, crossing the border back into Belgium to rest in the seaside town of Knokke. This shorter ride took about 4 hours and 40 minutes.

Not every day on the trip requires a century ride. After logging over 300 kilometers in two days, the group opted for a highly relaxed rest day in Knokke-Heist to simply enjoy the vacation vibe.

Van Aert dubbed it a "Jeansbroek-dagje" (Jeans day), highlighting the complete absence of lycra. Naturally, a proper rest day on a cycling trip included enjoying some delicious pastries at the local bakery, which is a mandatory stop for any bikepacking adventure.