VIDEO: Wout Van Aert takes his preparation up a notch to by taking on Stelvio... via gravel paths!
CyclingFriday, 17 July 2026 at 09:00
Wout Van Aert's racing schedule is considerably empty at the moment, without the Tour de France - his usual appointment at this time of the year. The Belgian rider was withdrawn from Grande Boucle nomination by his team after he his form at preparation race Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes did not meet their high standards due to an elbow wound infection.
That is why we saw Van Aert's plans for summer adjusted notably, in particular his Grand Tour workload shifted towards the Vuelta a Espana. This should provide Van Aert with enough time to recover from his injury and be at his best level for the Spanish race.
However his summer plans may include more than just the three-week stage race. His friend and former professional Jan Bakelants recently hinted that Van Aert is quite interested in starting the Belgian gravel Championships one week ahead of Vuelta.
Partly in search of the prized national champion's jersey, partly to test his level ahead of Vuelta.
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As part of his preparation, Van Aert travelled to Italy for an altitude camp in Livigno at the start of July. And after two weeks, he's already gotten familiar enough with the area to take things up a level.
Wout van Aert 🇧🇪 (@vismaleaseabike) training in Livigno, getting ready for the Vuelta ❤️ #LaVuelta26 pic.twitter.com/UHJ5U29rY9
— categorycafe (@categorycafe) July 15, 2026
On Wednesday, Van Aert spiced up his training with a 5-hour ride on gravel (and sometimes even mountain-bike) paths on the slopes of legendary Stelvio in the company of ex-road professional turned gravel racer Aaron Van der Beken.
But don't worry, his other sessions tend to stick to road, and even though Van Aert squints at a possible gravel rainbow jersey in autumn, his priorities remain sorted.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Someone needs to remind this idiot that this is competitive professional sport. There is absolutely no other sport on earth, not football, not basketball, not track and field, not baseball or American football, not chess or checkers, where the defeated parties whine that the winners should lighten up and let them win too. And then where reporters write about it as a serious complaint. This is the way we expect children to play, not adults and certainly not professionals. It is a real disgrace for professional cycling that these voices are heard and amplified. Put on your big boy pants and get better.Curmudgeon17-07-2026
- Now the Movistar babies started to cry, because they have a shitty team? It's not Pogi's fault. José Joaquín Rojas, go cry on your mommies shoulder and leave cycling alone, it's not for you. Alpecin also touched a little reality, they have come down from a pink cloud this year and that's where they belong, among average teams. They have one stage win from a breakaway and will remain that way unless MVDP say's: "Pogi, please give us one more chance." Real cycling fans, not cry babies, want to see the GOAT in action. Maybe it's boring for some, especially for Pogi haters, but 80% of the fans are there to admire him, just like stadiums were full when they watched Usain Bolt demolish everyone. Today stadiums are half empty. I wouldn't actively watch the Tour if there was no Pogi (or someone like him), because I would be watching mediocre cyclists. Acta non verba !!!mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales17-07-2026
- Can't handle the truth...agaiin? Oh you poor boy.mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales17-07-2026
- Most of the time his team is now strong. But in the Le Lioran stage he had to use Piganzoli as a lead-out, which will give Visma hope.Hills3317-07-2026
- Pogi is to my mind the GOAT, no doubt. But even to him, his team matters. The lead outs he gets are absolutely unmatched by any other team. He’s basically in an armchair until he attacks, stage after stage. He gets to save a ton of energy.DAS17-07-2026
- This bloke is getting paid hundreds of thousands of Euros to ride a bike and he is not happy? Time to give it up and do something that gives him some enjoyment.whit2pet17-07-2026
- Yes, I am fortunate to have informed commentary when I watch the Tour, and the former road captain cimmentating said he thought UAE's control of the potential chaos in that stage with just two riders was brilliant. They then eased up, and immediately Ineos started hunting down the breakaway for Bernal's GC position.Hills3317-07-2026
- Hopefully Loulou will bounce back.
Davide17-07-2026 - You couldn't be more wrong ! Just hate your countless fawning posts on your Pogi-god obsession! Get a life !frieders317-07-2026
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