Wout van Aert back racing on Gravel - Visma rider to compete in Belgian National Championships before Vuelta a Espana
CyclingFriday, 14 August 2026 at 10:14
Wout van Aert will be back in racing action just a week before the 2026 Vuelta a Espana, but not on his road bike. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider is primed to compete in the Belgian Gravel National Championships this Sunday, August 16th.
After dominating the Tour of Denmark and putting his Tour de France absence behind him, van Aert rides gravel once again after winning the UCI Gravel World Series race Marly Gravel in May.
The Belgian will face stiff competition in the national title chase as among those set to line up in the elite men's field include defending champion Niels Vandeputte as well as multiple 2026 Tour stage winner Tim Merlier, who was third at the event last year.
Gravel increasingly popular among road riders
The discipline has become increasingly popular in recent years as road riders use top races to add race days to their calendars, while ex-professionals such as Romain Bardet and Greg van Avermaet also switched focus to the discipline after finishing their road careers.
The men's elite race will be run over 163.2km, three laps of the course that starts and finishes in Grobbendonk.
Van Aert is building towards a Vuelta appearance after enduring a difficult summer. The 31-year-old crashed in the days before the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in training, and left the race after five stages as wounds on his elbow became infected.
Things went from bad to worse as he lost his race against time to make the Tour de France, with the team opting not to risk his wellbeing and give his wounds adequate time to heal.
Wout van Aert
Van Aert re-focuses after infection setback
Re-focusing his ambitions, van Aert took on the Tour of Denmark at the end of July and bounced back in impressive fashion. He won three stages in a row and comfortably took home the general classification win.
With the Vuelta parcours featuring several stages that suit his credentials, van Aert will arrive at the Monaco start targeting stage wins as he ramps up his late-season ambitions that could include a bid for the World Championships.
Speaking candidly after his Denmark stint was wrapped up, van Aert opened up on a difficult period leaving him enviously glancing at the Tour de France as he was forced to change his plans.
“It may sound strange, but I would rather not have been here and would have preferred to ride the Tour de France,” he told HLN.
“It was not a pleasant period, but you always have to be ready to change your plans. I am really looking forward to everything that is still to come this autumn.”
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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