Wout van Aert has decided to spend what should be his peak years with his current employer, Jumbo Visma. The Belgian rider has signed a new contract that will keep him at the Dutch WorldTour outfit for at least three more years.
Last year Van Aert won Strade Bianche, Milan Sanremo, a stage and the points classification in Critérium du Dauphiné, the Belgian national TT title and two stages of the Tour de France before finishing 2nd in the road race and TT at the Worlds and also placing 2nd in the Tour of Flanders.
Van Aert (26) had been linked, in media reports, with Ineos Grenadiers, with Dave Brailsford of the British team saying he would love to sign van Aert and had been speaking to him.
That story emerged in recent weeks and showed the competition to sign van Aert was hotting up, despite the fact his current contract does not expire until the end of this year.
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But today came the news he has signed a new deal with Jumbo Visma, which will keep him at that team until at least the end of 2024, when he will be 30 years old.
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Speaking from his team’s pre-season training camp in Ali Cante, Spain, Van Aert said he was delighted to stay with Jumbo Visma.
“I really wanted to extend because I have become a lot
better with this team. I think everyone has seen that I have made huge steps
forward as a rider in recent years. I was always in shape when I needed to,” he
said.
“The decision that I wanted to re-sign was made pretty quickly
in my mind. Of course there are other things that come into play and that
required some time. The intention was good on both sides and I was confident
that everything was going to be all right.”
He added while he had been talking to other teams, his
first choice was to stay with Jumbo Visma.
“My goal was to extend the contract. We have become the
best team in the world. It was best for me to stay. I am glad that it is done
and I am relieved that I can speak out about it.”
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