Wout van Aert is one of the single best riders in the peloton when it comes to the cobbled classics, however most of his success has came away from them as tactics often work against him due to his sprinting abilities. In 2023 the Jumbo-Visma rider is seeking a monument win in the coming spring.
In a recent press conference, van Aert said: "Towards the classics, I already have in mind how I will approach it. Obviously the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are the big goals of the spring. I want to keep chasing a victory in those two monuments. But everything has to go well on such a day."
The Dutch team recently rode together in Belgium doing a recon of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a race he himself won last year with a solo attack towards the end. He won the E3 Saxo Bank Classic with a duo attack together with Christophe Laporte, with the rest of the field standing no chance. As Tiesj Benoot also scored hefty results, Jumbo and van Aert were prime favourites for the Tour des Flandres, but days before the race he tested positive for Covid-19.
"Last year I was in good shape at the right time, but then I got infected with the corona virus. Maybe next year I will collect less top 10 places, but I will catch that big fish," he continued. He managed to return to race Paris-Roubaix where he finished second, but it has likely still felt like a disappointing campaign. He's looking to improve on it in 2023.
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Part of Jumbo's tactics will rely on new signing, Paris-Roubaix winner and Tour des Flandres runner-up Dylan van Baarle. “A team can never be too strong. I am really looking forward to racing together with Van Baarle. I think we are very complementary," van Aert commented, on an addition that is set to make Jumbo an even stronger classics team.
He assured however that both will be working for the collective, and that the addition of van Baarle will only benefit the team. “The race situation will determine that. It's just important that someone from our team wins. That may sound a little corny, but that's just the way it is," he said.
Before that however, van Aert will aim for the cyclocross World Championships in early February. He's beginning his campaign soon in the Antwerp World Cup, and looks to build towards Hoogerheide: "I think there has never been so much to do about programs of riders in the field (cyclocross, ed.) and on the road. But the newspapers are full of it and the race is alive."
After, he will recover and travel to Mount Teide in the Canary Islands for an altitude camp. He's said to be relatively replicating his 2021 schedule, likely to make his debut at Strade Bianche, and to use Tirreno-Adriatico as his main racing block towards the classics. It is not decided yet which schedule he'll have from there on, but he hints at a Tour-Worlds combo in July and August - instead of the Giro d'Italia which has occasionally been suggested.
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“The Tour and then the World Championships is certainly a route that is possible. The World Championships will be two weeks after the Tour next year, so that is a difficult combination. But that has already proven successful," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- 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
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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