Belgian Wout Van Aert, one of the biggest stars of world cycling, announced on Wednesday that he was extending his contract, which was due to expire in 2026, with the Visma-Lease a Bike team “for life”.
“I feel at home in this team. It is unique and I have been thriving here for five years. That is why I decided to stay here forever and it is really nice,” said the 30-year-old Flemish player in a statement.
While speculations were sending him to Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe, Van Aert should thus end his career with the Dutch team that he joined in 2019, while already planning for “a long-term partnership” beyond his sporting career.
“It’s unique in our sport but we both didn’t have to think about it for long,” commented Visma-Lease a bike boss Richard Plugge, without revealing the terms of the contract.
“Wout is obviously a fantastic rider with a great track record. He is an all-rounder: a sprinter, a classics rider, a time trial specialist and, on a good day, he can also win a mountain stage like his famous victory on Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France,” added Plugge about Van Aert, winner of nine stages in the Tour de France.
“Besides that, Wout has also become an indispensable part of our team, a leader and a teammate who makes others better,” said the boss of the Visma team, which also has Jonas Vingegaard, double winner of the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023, in its ranks.
