Wout van Aert: "Skipping the Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo was a difficult decision. But it was a necessary choice"
Cycling
Wout van Aert will skip the cyclocross World Championships alongside a few races, and he will also let go Strade Bianche and Milano-Sanremo. This is confirmed by his own words, and it is a conscious choice in order to arrive at the cobbled monuments and Giro d'Italia in the best form possible.
"The first part of my season is about building up to Flanders and Roubaix. I will wear a number on the opening weekend of the classics and then not race for a while. I want to get out of my comfort zone and try something different," van Aert said in a press release. "Maybe it is logical for me to look for a different approach, but above all, I am doing what feels right."
Van Aert starts his season at the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior, and will then move on towards the Volta ao Algarve where he should be a favourite for the overall win. It is an attempt to race a different program, in a year where a lot actually changes in the big picture. He will also return to the Opening Weekend, where he hasn't raced since 2022 - where he won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Neither Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico are in the schedule for the time being, and it will likely remain that way as he should take on a training camp.
"Skipping the Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo was a difficult decision. But it was a necessary choice to be in the best possible shape for the start of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. There's a good chance I'll race the Amstel Gold Race after the cobbles. Hopefully I will do so with one or more victories under my belt."
Van Aert headlines a very strong classics team for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Although the team has lost Nathan van Hooydonck who retired due to heart issues, it signed Matteo Jorgenson who should be just as strong of a replacement in a block that also includes former Paris-Roubaix winner Dylan van Baarle, European Champion Christophe Laporte and Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne winner Tiesj Benoot.
"For 2024, our classics team is strong again, and our confidence is high. I think the team has become even stronger with the arrival of Matteo Jorgenson and Per Strand Hagenes from the Development Team. However, the retirement of Nathan Van Hooydonck is a loss... Christophe Laporte is also invaluable to me," he adds.. "His qualities are unquestionable. With him we are already a team to be reckoned with. I trust him blindly and we work very well together, as the last few years have shown."
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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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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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Front24208-11-2026
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💬 "For 2024, our classic team is strong again, and our confidence is high." ~ Wout van Aert Read more about Wout's goals in the classics. ⤵️
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