Wout van Aert puts in monster rides during racing break at a bikepacking trip

Wout van Aert is in the midst of a break from racing but by no means has he left the bike rest. Throughout the past three days he's put in 19 hours on the bike as he takes on a gravel bikepacking trip after a very busy few months.

"Riders have to train for months in a structured way and go beyond their limits in competitions," Paul van den Bossche said. "That also comes with high expectations and constant evaluation in the media and on social media. Bikepacking can then be the ideal way to get rid of all that pressure. In addition, Van Aert continues to maintain his condition in a relaxed way in this case."

Van Aert rested through the winter but then began preparing for the cyclocross World championships, starting competition in early December. From two months he built his form into Hoogerheide where his level was very high but the track suited Mathieu van der Poel better, eventually dislodging the Belgian to second. After some days of rest he travelled to Tenerife to train at altitude and kicked off his road campaign at Tirreno-Adriatico.

His spring campaign saw a very strong van Aert but one who didn't have the legs or the luck at critical moments. He won the E3 Saxo Classic and helped Christophe Laporte into victory at Gent-Wevelgem, however finished third at Milano-Sanremo, fourth at the Tour of Flanders and then had to settle with third at Paris-Roubaix after he punctured in the finale as he led the race. He now takes some rest before beginning his Tour de France preparation, but has enjoyed some more time on the bike, taking a trip through northern France in Champagne for a few days.

"That is why it is also important that a rider does that in the company of friends. Then you can talk about other things than about the race. That is necessary to find mental peace. Riders are used to everything being arranged for them: from transporting their luggage and their bicycles to booking their hotel rooms. During a bikepack adventure, the riders themselves are responsible for all those things. That can be a form of relief, because then they are away from that tight pattern in which everything has to be done and everything is weighed up."

"In a quiet period there is nothing wrong with drinking a glass. The reins can be a bit looser. After his holiday, Van Aert will again end up in a pattern of strict diets, structured training, altitude training and high expectations. To be mentally ready for that, it is important that the batteries are charged, for example by bikepacking," van den Bossche concluded.