"There was definitely more possible today - But I have to admit I didn't have the legs" - Wout van Aert misses top-10 in frantic return to action in Quebec

Wout van Aert was back in action on Friday at the 2025 GP de Québec, but the Belgian star was left with "mixed feelings" after finishing 14th in a chaotic and unusually open edition of the Canadian World Tour classic. Despite strong intentions from Team Visma | Lease a Bike to race conservatively early and strike late, the race split before the final lap, and Van Aert found himself out of position when it mattered most.

“We weren’t positioned well enough once the finale began,” Van Aert admitted post-race in comments to Visma's official website. “We couldn’t follow the counterattacks, and the chase never really got organised. The plan was for Tiesj and me to save something for the last lap. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out.”

The 2025 edition of the GP de Québec featured a modified final circuit designed to increase difficulty — with the usual fast descents stripped out in favour of a punchier finish. That alteration helped encourage early aggression, with Tim Wellens and UAE sparking a flurry of moves from over 80 kilometres out, dragging the likes of Alaphilippe, Sivakov, Bettiol, and Skjelmose into a select front group that would never be caught.

Visma attempted to control things from behind, holding Van Aert and Tiesj Benoot in reserve. But the break’s cooperation — and the lack of a unified chase effort — meant the race slipped away before Visma could deploy their finishing strategy. “We had to react a bit too early to neutralize attacks,” Van Aert explained. “By the final ascent of the climb, we were no longer riding for the win but just for a place of honour.”

Despite their efforts, neither Van Aert nor Benoot was able to feature in the final selection, and Alaphilippe’s perfectly timed attack on the steep final ramp secured the win. Van Aert rolled in 14th, visibly disappointed, but honest in his self-assessment.

“There was definitely more possible today,” Van Aert said. “But I also have to admit that I simply didn’t have the legs to win. I look back with mixed feelings.”

The race marked Van Aert’s first appearance since the Deutschland Tour, and while his return was always going to be a test of form and timing, the outcome underscored how unforgiving the one-day calendar can be when tactics don’t align with the race scenario.

Van Aert will now look ahead to GP Montréal, where Visma may need to revise their approach if they hope to counter the high-tempo racing UAE and others seem committed to imposing.