“You never know how your form is” – Wout van Aert gets emphatic answer with immediate victory on racing return
Cycling
Wout van Aert admitted he had no clear idea where his form stood before returning to competition at the 2026 Tour of Denmark, but victory on Stage 1 delivered a far more convincing answer than he could have expected.
The Team Visma | Lease a Bike star won immediately on his first race day back, overcoming a chaotic afternoon of crosswinds, a major peloton crash and a demanding late bridge before beating the front group in Aalborg.
“Even though I’m used to making comebacks, you never know how your form is. I got some answers today, so I’m very happy,” Van Aert told DR after the finish.
His uncertainty was understandable. Van Aert had not raced since an elbow injury and subsequent infection ruled him out of the Tour de France, leaving the five-day Danish stage race as his first opportunity to assess his condition in competition.
The opening stage provided no gentle route back. Van Aert helped Visma increase the pressure when strong winds raised the threat of echelons, only to find himself caught behind after a huge crash split the peloton shortly afterwards.
Although he avoided hitting the ground, Van Aert was briefly separated from Christophe Laporte and several other Visma riders in the front group. The race later came back together, giving him another opportunity to influence the result.
Van Aert saves decisive effort for final climb
The winning move initially formed without Van Aert, with Laporte among six riders who carried a narrow advantage into the closing kilometres.
Rather than panic or commit too early, Van Aert waited for the final ascent of Molleparken before launching his counter-attack from the reduced peloton. “Laporte was up the road and controlling things,” Van Aert explained. “I saved my one big effort for the final climb. The last five kilometres were hard, but it was all worth it.”
Soren Kragh Andersen initially followed his acceleration, but Van Aert proved too strong and bridged across to the leaders with around three kilometres remaining.
Laporte immediately switched into a supporting role, helping maintain the group’s advantage before Van Aert positioned himself behind Lukas Kubis in the final kilometre.
Tomas Kopecky led out Kubis, while Laporte was forced to close a small gap as the group briefly stretched. Van Aert remained composed, launched his sprint from around 300 metres and powered clear to claim the stage and the first leader’s jersey.
The result offered an immediate indication that Van Aert’s condition is already strong enough to decide races, even after an interrupted build-up and several weeks without competition.
His return could scarcely have been more demanding, but one late attack and a dominant sprint transformed an uncertain comeback into an emphatic victory.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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