Wout van Aert breaks current contract with Jumbo-Visma, re-signs into 2026 - "He propels us to great heights"

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."

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.

"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.

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".