“I didn’t have to think long when this idea came to me. First of all because at Team Visma | Lease a Bike we work with the best people and the best equipment. Together we are constantly looking to improve, which means that we continue to develop individually but also as a team. I owe a lot of success to that, we really do it together. But apart from that, I feel very comfortable in this team, which is very important to me. This team is unique and has suited me for five years and I want it to stay that way. That’s why I decided to stay here forever, and it feels really good.explained the rider in the team’s press release which made this new contract official.
Technical director Richard Plugge explained this choice. “Wout is of course a fantastic rider with an exceptional track record. He is an all-rounder: sprinter, classics rider, time trialist and, on his best days, he also wins a mountain stage like the famous victory on Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France. But besides that, Wout has really become an important culture vector, an indispensable link in our team. He is a leader and a team player. He is a rider who also makes the others in the team better, simply through his insight and charisma. We are extremely happy with him and fortunately, it is mutual.”
Permanent contracts are very rare in cycling. While Pogacar (2027), Vingegaard, Van der Poel (2028) and many other stars of the peloton have long-term contracts, Wout van Aert would be, to our knowledge, the first to benefit from a permanent contract.
Vuelta: Wout van Aert has left hospital but the rider’s season is “already over”
