“Wout van Aert Ends Season Early, Forgoes Road World Championships”

“Wout van Aert Ends Season Early, Forgoes Road World Championships”

Belgian all-rounder Wout van Aert has announced that he will end his 2025 season in September, skipping both the UCI Road World Championships in Colombia and the European Championships in France. The decision comes after what he himself described as an “intense, demanding, and unforgettable” campaign that stretched across 56 competitive race days, including stage wins at the Tour de France, a grueling Giro d’Italia campaign, and a silver medal at the cyclo-cross world championships.

For one of cycling’s most versatile stars, the choice to cut short his calendar may seem surprising. Yet to those who have followed van Aert’s career closely, it reflects both his maturity as an athlete and his long-term view of success.

Van Aert’s remaining schedule is still formidable. He will line up at the Deutschland Tour (August 20–24) before tackling the Bretagne Classic on August 31. The Canadian double-header of GP de Québec (September 12) and GP de Montréal (September 14) follows, with his final appearance of 2025 coming at the Super 8 Classic in Belgium on September 20. After that, he will shut things down until next year.

“This season has already been one of the heaviest of my career,” van Aert explained in a team statement. “It is important not just to race but also to recover. The World Championships are always special, but I have to be smart. If I want to keep competing at the highest level for many years, I need balance.”

A Season of Highs and Exhaustion

Balance has not been easy to find in 2025. Van Aert started the year with an ambitious program that included the Giro d’Italia, where he fought valiantly in the mountains and played a decisive role in shaping key stages. He followed that up with a Tour de France that showcased his trademark versatility, earning stage victories and providing crucial support for his team in both sprint and hilly terrain.

Add to that a winter of cyclo-cross racing, where he collected silver at the world championships, and the cumulative toll becomes clear. Few riders in the modern peloton attempt such a broad calendar across multiple disciplines, and fewer still manage to do it successfully. Van Aert’s relentless style of racing—always aggressive, always present in the action—magnifies the wear and tear.

Why Skip the Road Worlds?

The Road World Championships are traditionally one of the biggest goals for riders of van Aert’s caliber, and Belgium has historically carried high expectations in the event. His absence will inevitably spark debate among fans and pundits, especially given his near-misses in previous editions.

Yet van Aert’s choice reflects a growing awareness among top riders that longevity sometimes requires sacrifice. With the World Championships scheduled in Colombia—a demanding course at altitude—van Aert and his team determined that adding another peak to his season was both physically risky and mentally draining. Instead, the decision was made to finish strong in late September and then fully recharge for 2026.

Reactions from Fans and Media

The news has been met with mixed reactions. Belgian media outlets expressed disappointment that their most decorated all-rounder of the current generation will not don national colors at the Worlds. Some fans voiced frustration on social media, suggesting that opportunities to win the rainbow jersey do not come often.

Others, however, applauded van Aert’s pragmatism. “He’s human, not a machine,” one supporter wrote. “If skipping Worlds means he can win more Monuments and maybe a green jersey next year, then it’s the right call.”

Looking Toward 2026 and Beyond

For van Aert, the early conclusion to 2025 opens the door to recalibration. With his contract secure at Visma-Lease a Bike and the team building around both his versatility and young talent, the focus now shifts to what lies ahead. Key targets in 2026 could include a renewed tilt at Paris-Roubaix, another Tour de France stage haul, and perhaps a full preparation geared specifically toward the World Championships.

By prioritizing recovery this year, van Aert is signaling that his ambitions are not about short-term accolades but about sustaining excellence. At 30, he remains in his prime, and his ability to juggle cyclo-cross, road classics, and stage races ensures he will continue to be one of cycling’s defining figures.

A Season Worth Remembering

Even without a late-season Worlds appearance, van Aert’s 2025 résumé is impressive. Tour stage wins, podiums across the spring classics, and another cyclo-cross medal reaffirm his reputation as the ultimate all-rounder. The decision to end early underscores a reality often hidden behind his relentless racing style: endurance at the top level requires knowing when to stop.

As he prepares for his final races in September, van Aert will still thrill fans in Germany, France, Canada, and Belgium before taking a much-deserved break. And when he returns in 2026, fresher and hungrier, he will no doubt resume his pursuit of victories on every terrain the sport can throw at him.

For now, Wout van Aert has chosen wisdom over overwork—a decision that could ultimately extend both his career and his legend.