Wout van Aert breaks current contract with Jumbo-Visma, re-signs into 2026 - "He propels us to great heights"
Cycling
Wout van Aert and Jumbo-Visma are seen by many as a match made in heaven, and the two have wanted to extend their collaboration even further. The Belgian rider has now signed a new contract into 2026, overwriting his already existing contract that had him with the team for two more seasons.
"I feel very good with this team. We have already shown that I can perform at my best here," van Aert said in a press release. "...I don't think a longer partnership poses any risks because we've been able to get better for the past four years... We keep improving in performance, the team's facilities, everything. Because of this, I'm confident I won't have to worry about being on this squad for the next four years. We constantly strive for the best, which made the decision simple. I give the team that assurance, and it gives me the peace of mind I need to succeed in the upcoming years."
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Van Aert joined Jumbo-Visma in 2019 and quickly became one of it's star riders. His almost incomparable versatility has seen him take wins at Milano-Sanremo, Strade Bianche, Amstel Gold Race and several of the spring cobbled classics. He's won a total of nine stages at the Tour de France whilst consistently playing a support role for it's leaders - including this year's win by Jonas Vingegaard - and has also dominantly conquered the points classification this year.
He's taken a total of 32 wins including mountainous, hilly and cobbled races, bunch sprints and time-trials, whilst consistently helping the team's goals in other fields, making him an incredibly valuable rider - adding to his whole cyclocross background which has earned him more and more success and will continue to be the case for the coming years surely.
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"I am always looking for new challenges and still have plenty to accomplish. I occasionally hear the criticism that the team gives me too few opportunities. But I think the opposite is the case," he said. "I've already been given many more possibilities than I would have otherwise due to the growth I've been able to experience with this team. I might be the sole leader in a grand tour in another team, but I would not have had the same legs."
Although he has not been able to win the Tour des Flandres, Paris-Roubaix, the Olympic Games or the World Championships, he has frequently been named the man to beat in each of them. The renewal announcement comes just days before the Wollongong World Championships' road race, where he will once again be expected to be part of the fight for the gold medal.
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He had a contract already until 2024, but that has been scraped, and a new contract into 2026 has been signed. It was a move both sides wished for, as team manager Merijn Zeeman tells: "Both as a rider and as a person, Wout enhances our team. He is a rider who makes a difference by achieving top performances and by the team player he is. He propels us to great heights. We are delighted that he will be part of our team for the next four years".
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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.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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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- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - 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
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- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
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- 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
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𝙁𝙖𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚. #WOUT2026
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