More than for others, the Canadian races represent one of the last efforts of the year for Wout Van Aert. With a World Championship and European Championship not suited to his characteristics, the Belgian is about to conclude his 2025. He came to Canada only in 2022, finishing 4th in the GP de Québec and 2nd in the GP de Montréal, beaten in a sprint by the usual Tadej Pogačar.

"After these races, I will only race the Super 8 in Belgium on September 20th, after which I will end the season and start laying the groundwork for next year," Van Aert said. "It's been a long season and this year we decided to rest a bit more. I won't do any gravel races, and I admit I'm a bit disappointed to miss the World Championship in Limburg, while for cyclocross we'll evaluate later. There's a possibility of starting a bit earlier than usual, but it will depend a lot on the road objectives we set for 2026, and consequently we'll plan the winter."

Here in Canada, therefore, he will give his all: "The new finale of the GP de Québec is tricky because after the côte, the road continues to rise slightly to the finish. The race will be more controllable with a single climb in my opinion, but when there's a course change, it's always complicated to make predictions beforehand. The expected type of riders remains the same, I expect a breathless finale, where it's difficult to imagine a true sprint."

The Visma | Lease a Bike captain was one of the very few able to drop Pogačar at the Tour de France, distancing him harshly on the Montmartre climb in Paris. The Slovenian was obviously exhausted after three weeks of battle, but the impression is that when Van Aert has that leg, he becomes difficult to beat. Canadian fans dream of a rematch on the Quebec and Montreal circuits. "I hope to have the legs of that day," Wout admits, "but quite a few weeks have passed, and there won't even be the pavé here, which makes a big difference. Often he and Van der Poel dropped me on the more explosive climbs, and instead there I managed to drop him. It was a nice confidence boost, not so much for this race but for what will come in the next few months. After the Tour, it wasn't easy to find motivation after such a long season, but the Tour of Germany helped me 'kick myself in the butt' and start working properly again. Now I think I'm feeling quite good and I'm motivated for these Canadian races, I'd like to add one to my palmares. Maybe they don't have the history and tradition of races in Belgium, but for riders with my characteristics, they are often one of the objectives of the final part of the season, as the start list of great value demonstrates."

At worst, the Belgian will conclude the season with the fantastic victory in Siena at the Giro and the triumph on the Champs-Élysées at the Tour de France. He missed a win in a major classic, but he'll try again next year: "It was a season in which I tried several times, actually winning little. But the successes that came were of great prestige. So the lesson I take home from this year is that by trying and trying again, my body still gives me the answers I'm looking for, and that's important."

(Photo Credits: James Startt / GPCQM)