Wout van Aert's big wish for 2025: "That I can just stay on my bike"

One of the superstars of modern cycling, Wout van Aert's career in recent years has been one too often plagued by injuries, crashes and just general bad luck. With a new year comes new optimism though and for Van Aert, there is one big wish for 2025...

"That I can just stay on my bike," the Belgian of Team Visma | Lease a Bike grins in conversation with Sporza. "So that I can ride the races that I want to participate in. Because having to watch all the big classics and appointments from the sidelines: I'm fed up with that."

Van Aert's road campaign in 2024 was ended by a crash at the Vuelta a Espana. "Actually, the fall wasn't serious at all," he reflects. "The rider in front of me misjudged the bend. He didn't take any risks during the entire descent. I just couldn't avoid him, which caused me to fall over his bike. The bad luck was that there was a rock face. It literally cut into it. At first I thought about the sporting loss in the Vuelta. But that changed when I really didn't feel well in the ambulance. And then because of the serious knee damage that was diagnosed in Belgium. If there had been grass, I would have just happily continued."

Also at Dwars door Vlaanderen in the Spring Van Aert was the victim of a nasty crash. Ahead of 2025 though, the race has adapted its profile, taking out the section that saw Van Aert crash. "A good choice", WVA thinks. "It is a crucial point, a small mistake there is never a 'crash'. It makes for an interesting debate among the riders, just like cycling is getting faster. Limiting the number of gears would make the sport a lot safer, in my opinion. Other riders don't think so. Yet I am convinced: if you are on that descent with a gear limit, no one can move up. Now the gears are so big that you still think about overtaking."

"I dream of being able to look back on a victory in the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix in a year's time. That is definitely at the top of my list," he adds, looking forward to the future. "And I also learned from last year that I can be successful if I can ride a Grand Tour in a free way."

"30 years? I'm almost worn out in racing terms," ​​he laughs in conclusion. "I don't believe in that myself, although the end is closer than the beginning. That birthday really hit home. I know for sure that talent doesn't go away. After so many setbacks, I still reached a level in the fall, so that will probably come back now."