Winner twice in the last twelve months, in the Giro d'Italia stage in Siena and in Paris for the Tour de France, Wout van Aert continues to enthuse the cycling public who are waiting to see him return to the muddy cyclocross roads next Saturday in Antwerp. The Belgian was once again among the finalists for the prestigious Flandrien award and wanted to talk about his season and his difficulties, showing the most human side of his character.

"It's true that I didn't have the most successful year of my career, but I felt that my victories made a mark. I finished fourth at the Tour of Flanders, but I felt I had given my all. I gave everything, as always, and as always I raced to win. I attacked in the finale, even though Tadej and Mathieu were definitely stronger. And it didn't bother me, and I accepted having this level. The fact of being close to riders like them is important and now, it makes me enjoy my victories more."

In the last two years, Van Aert has had significant accidents that have changed his body: when he looks at his scars, inevitably his thoughts return to those falls. Today, however, Van Aert has learned to be happy with what he has, with the awareness of having gotten back up and still having the desire to race and challenge himself to be among the strongest riders in the World Tour.

"In 2024, when I fell twice, I watched all the most important races on television: the Classics, the World Championships. I was at the Tour de France, but not at the level I hoped. That horrible feeling of not being able to compete made me realize today how important it is for me to still be in this sport. Everything changed during last spring. I no longer dared to raise the pace. I was torn between the relief of not falling and the frustration of not being in the right place. At a certain point, I realized that pedaling anonymously in the group didn't make me happy. Sometimes I managed to help the team, other times not even that. Today I know very clearly what racing means to me: reaching my maximum level and giving my all."

Even today, in various interviews, Van Aert is asked if he sometimes thinks about the sprint defeat at the Tour of Flanders, with three Visma riders against Powless. The boy from Herentals now has no problem talking about the emotions and frustration of that day. "I was extremely disappointed because I wasn't true to myself by choosing to focus everything on my sprint. I was too eager to win and was afraid my teammates would take away that opportunity if they attacked. It helped me a lot that no one was angry or disappointed. For them, everything made sense. People might think that winning is no longer as important to me, but I still want to raise my arms in victory. But it's also true that in that particular race we should have behaved differently."

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Van Aert said that winning the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix would mean everything to him and that for this, he continues to race seeking the best possible result. "If I could no longer believe I could win the Tour of Flanders, then maybe only three riders in the world can still do it. It's very difficult to win, of course, and this also applies to Roubaix, but these are logical goals in my career. I'm still very close to achieving this result. I must believe I can reach a higher level compared to last year. All the conditions are there to be stronger. In 2025, if Mathieu had been closer to Tadej, they could have neutralized each other. They often work well together, but in the last ten kilometers it was different. The worst scenario for me was if one of them attacked after the Paterberg and created a significant gap. The main thing for me was to stay with them. But in the future, there could be an edition where they look at each other and then they might neutralize each other, and that could be my opportunity."

Wout van Aert is a rider with a big heart, capable of admitting his mistakes and weaknesses. The Flemish rider was reborn in Siena, and that victory in Piazza del Campo is one of his most important. "Few victories have given me so much emotion. I still get chills just talking about it. It was a difficult period that ultimately turned positive.

"I was having a good spring, but I was missing that final touch. I hoped to start the Giro by winning a stage, but I got sick before the Grand Departure. I was so debilitated that on the fifth day I wondered if it was worth continuing. The Strade Bianche stage? I didn't think it would be my day at all. My family was at the finish line and I hadn't seen them for ten days. Siena is also the place where my road cycling career began. The race conditions there helped me, and I needed it because I was absolutely not at my best. Sometimes, I believe things are meant to go this way, that it's written in the stars. What I experienced that day, I can't describe it."

Van Aert hasn't raced Strade Bianche since 2021, and his 2026 calendar also doesn't include this race. However, the Belgian is thinking about returning, although this will need to be defined by the team.

"Being at Strade Bianche in 2026 means changing plans. Usually at that time of year, I'm at altitude, and it would mean changing my preparation. I've never said I don't want to race this event anymore. Racing Strade will require a different approach, but we can work on it."