Wout
Van Aert
Belgium
·
Cycling
Date of birth | September 15, 1994 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Herentals, Belgium |
Age | 31 |
Nationality | Belgium |
Career start | 2011 |
Disciplines | Track Cycling / Cyclocross |
Wout van Aert first made a name for himself during the 2011-12 season, when he won the junior race at the Cyclo-cross Ruddervoorde in his native Belgium. He continued to win regularly and finished second in the Belgian and World Junior Championships. At the start of 2013, he turned pro with some success, winning the U23 Cyclo-cross Superprestige, along with overall second place in the U23 World Cup.
At the start of the 2014-2015 season, Wout started as a Junior, but soon found himself in the Elite category. He surprised friends and foes alike by defeating Sven Nys at Koppenbergcross, finishing the season with 12 more wins.
In January 2016, Wout became the Belgian champion for the first time. He also went on to complete a grand slam by winning the World Cup and secure the lofty title of world champion that same season. The following season, he won 18 times and retained his Belgian and World Championship titles.
Wout isn't afraid of a bit of tarmac, either. He's already taken part in several road races and beat Tony Martin, the multiple world champion, in a time trial during the prologue of the Tour of Belgium.
In January 2018, Wout became Belgian champion for the third time and finished second in the Cyclo-cross World Championships in 2019.
Wout then turned his attention to the road, where he won Stage 10 of the Tour de France during his very first appearance in the race. A heavy fall a few days later resulted in a career-threatening thigh and hip injury, but he recovered in time to finish fourth in the 2020 Cyclo-cross World Championships.
At the 2020 Tour de France, Wout won Stages 5 and 7 to go with wins at Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo, the Belgian time trial championships and two sprints in the rescheduled 2020 season – at the Tour and also at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
In January 2021, Wout sealed the overall UCI Cyclocross World Cup series title with a second race win of the season in Overijse, Belgium. Later in the year, he secured a silver medal in Beijing in the road race.
2022 was another successful year, with Wout winning numerous road races at the start of the year. He then excelled at the Tour de France, winning three stages, topping the Points Classification category and earning the Most Combative Rider award.
More success followed in 2023, as Wout reigned supreme at the Tour of Britain and scored podium places at the UCI Road World Championships, the UCI Cyclocross World Cup and the iconic Paris-Roubaix event, proving once again that this rider keeps improving with every season.