Wout van Aert’s next race will not come at a major World Tour event or a high profile stage race. Instead, less than a month after finally conquering Paris-Roubaix, the Belgian is set to return to competition on the gravel roads of Limburg.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s superstar will line up at Sunday’s Marly Grav in Valkenburg, marking his first appearance since the biggest one day victory of his career at the Hell of the North. The race forms part of the UCI Gravel World Series and has rapidly grown into one of the most recognised gravel events in the Netherlands. For Van Aert, the choice feels fitting.
Long before gravel became one of cycling’s fastest growing disciplines, the Belgian had already built a reputation as one of the most technically gifted riders in the sport through cyclocross, cobbled classics, mountain stages and time trials. A return to racing away from the traditional WorldTour spotlight only reinforces that image.
It also continues what has increasingly become a pattern in Van Aert’s career. Few riders move between disciplines as naturally as the Visma leader has done, with a palmares that already stretches across cyclocross world titles, Monument victories, Tour de France stages and Grand Tour support roles.
Sunday’s appearance will also bring Van Aert back to some familiar roads. Valkenburg has already delivered some of the defining moments of his career. He won the Cyclocross World Championships there in 2018 and later added the 2021 Amstel Gold Race nearby on South Limburg terrain.
Gravel is not new territory for Van Aert
While the Marly Grav may surprise some fans as a comeback race, Van Aert is far from a newcomer to gravel competition. Back in 2023, he dominated a gravel event in Houffalize, winning by a margin of nine minutes after riding clear of the field. Later that same year he also started the Gravel World Championships in Veneto, although a crash and puncture ended any hopes of a major result.
That history makes Sunday’s race particularly interesting because qualification places are available for both the European and World Gravel Championships later this season.
A trip to the World Championships in Australia appears unlikely given Van Aert’s packed road programme and Tour de France responsibilities with Visma. The European Championships in Houffalize later this summer, however, could present a far more realistic target.
There is also another intriguing match-up on the cards in Valkenburg. Van Aert is expected to face fellow Belgian Florian Vermeersch, who arrives wearing the rainbow jersey as reigning gravel world champion.
In total, around 1,800 riders are set to take part in the event, which will also receive live television coverage on Eurosport 2 and HBO Max.
For Van Aert though, the bigger significance lies elsewhere. After years of heartbreak, crashes and near misses in the Spring Classics, the 2026 season already feels different following his Paris-Roubaix triumph. Now, rather than immediately diving back into the WorldTour grind, the Belgian is choosing a very different kind of return.
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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