Van Aert’s year has already been full. After a short cyclocross winter, he kicked off his road season early at Clásica Jaén and the Volta ao Algarve. He rode selflessly in support roles but still made an impact in the spring classics, finishing second at Dwars door Vlaanderen, fourth at both the Tour of Flanders and Amstel Gold Race, and runner-up at Brabantse Pijl.
Illness hampered his Giro d’Italia build-up, but he still took a brilliant solo win on the Strade Bianche-style gravel stage and helped guide Simon Yates to overall victory. Then came a block of altitude training and a strong Tour de France, where he supported Jonas Vingegaard and signed off with a stunning solo victory in Paris — attacking on the Montmartre climb and holding off the peloton on the Champs-Élysées.Van Aert is confirmed to ride the Deutschland Tour (20–24 August), followed by the Canadian World Tour races in Québec and Montréal. The World Championships in Rwanda remain uncertain, with the Belgian himself admitting recently, “A Worlds is always beautiful, but it has to make sense.”
With no other races officially announced, fans and pundits are now asking: is Van Aert hiding one final target?
He’s already hinted at a desire to ride the Belgian Gravel Championships on 17 August in Westerlo. The Gravel World Championships in South Limburg — a discipline Van Aert has the skillset to dominate — could also be on the radar. The European Road Championships or Il Lombardia are further possibilities, depending on his condition and goals.
Whatever the case, Van Aert and Visma-Lease a Bike are keeping their cards close to their chest — at least for now. But as Campenaerts’ comment suggests, the most important goal of Van Aert’s 2025 campaign might still be to come.