“Racing in Hamburg today would be much more dangerous" - Why Wout van Aert traded road for gravel before Vuelta a Espana
Cycling
Wout van Aert sees less possibility for things to go wrong on the gravel tracks than in the centre of the WorldTour peloton - swapping the ADAC Cyclassics in Hamburg for the Belgian Gravel National Championships less than a week out from the Vuelta a Espana.
The Visma | Lease a Bike rider is gathering momentum after an elbow infection forced him out of the Tour de France. Returning to action in the Tour of Denmark earlier this month, the Belgian has already enjoyed a successful comeback but wants to step it up a level in Spain.
With most riders heading to the Monaco start opting for the Vuelta a Burgos or Tour de Pologne last week, the ADAC Cyclassics also offered an opportunity for van Aert to test the legs in high company, with Jasper philipsen, Olav Kooij, Paul Magnier and Jonathan Milan among the names starting.
However, van Aert returns to one of his favourite playgrounds instead - gravel racing. The 31-year-old will start the National Championships alongside the likes of Greg van Avermaet and Tim Merlier, and expects a lot of support on the road.
“I’ve been looking forward to this day for a while,” Van Aert told Sporza before the start. “I expect a lot of supporters because you don’t often get to race this close to home.”
Van Aert won't take risks in gravel return
With just a week until his new major end-of-season goal, the Paris Roubiax winner won't be trying to take risks, knowing that a gravel win isn't a must for his career. A born racer, van Aert knows that instinct could take over as he focuses on a relaxed approach.
“The most important thing today is to enjoy myself,” Van Aert said. “This race is not going to change much about my career.”
“At some point the competitive instinct will take over and you want to try to win.”
Highlighting the danger of racing and training on roads, he believes that Sunday's Hamburg race resembles more of a risk than the gravel. “Racing in Hamburg today would be much more dangerous,” he said.
Wout van Aert
Dangers of training and racing on roads
“There are always dangers, even when you go training on public roads. I’m not afraid, but I’m not going to take unnecessary risks either.”
Reflecting on his Tour de France disappointment, van Aert sees the glass half full after taking three stage wins and the overall win in Denmark. Things are looking up for the Visma man as he targets more stage wins on the roads of La Vuelta.
“Missing the Tour was obviously a setback,” he said. “I needed some time to get back to a good level, but the Tour of Denmark went better than expected. Everything since then has gone well too.”
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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- He has the Twin combo of being vulnerable to germs and prone to crashes on top of not heeding the complaints from his body. Thats just crash and burn career.abstractengineer05-11-2026
- You can't complete a journey without taking next step. He has to do that or start looking for another job. I hope he can get his act together. It's a make or break next season for him. I wish him well.Cyclingsbestfan05-11-2026
- does anyone really think he is taking a next step?mij05-11-2026
- in the team’s defense, Bernal is 29. when he won his first TdF people were talking about him winning a record # of GTs. Where would they be if that crash had never happened. I’m not saying he would compete with Tadej, but he did podium Strade Bianche, and certainly could have won a GT that Tadej wasn’t in.mij05-11-2026
- "c'mon Jonas!"wrsty05-11-2026
- I see I missed a lot during my boycott.Jumpyjohn05-11-2026
- What kind of sauce is on that rice? Ketchup?Kbd05-11-2026
- 18 broken bones. 78 crashes, among 30 rider per year is a lot. so for a rider over 15 seasons, they will break their bones 7-8 times and crash 38 times.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- i dont think he is ready ot win against the top 2 or the 2nd rung of evenepoel, del toro , Almeida. In the third week in the TDF he was very very defensive, no attacks. i think he was exhausted. right now he needs time not the brutal Giro or the intense TDF.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- Rota is an excellent rider to get in a break with because he always does his turnchapmanesque04-11-2026
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