Wout van Aert recovery: Visma warns 'old Wout' won't return soon

Wout van Aert's return to his best form will take longer than hoped, according to his Visma-Lease a Bike team. In a recent update, the squad made clear the Belgian star is not yet the rider he was before his heavy crash.

Visma-Lease a Bike issued a frank assessment of van Aert's condition. "It will take a while before he is the old Wout again," a team spokesperson said. The statement came as the team manages expectations around his comeback.

Van Aert crashed hard at the Vuelta a España in September 2024. He suffered deep cuts and bruising, forcing him out of the race. The injuries were severe enough to end his season early.

Recovery from such a crash isn't just about healing bones. Van Aert lost weeks of training at a critical point in the year. Building back race fitness and confidence takes time, especially after a high-speed fall.

The team's update suggests the physical wounds have healed. But the gap in training and racing means he cannot simply jump back to his previous level. Visma is taking a cautious approach.

Van Aert's 2025 campaign is already underway, but he has not yet hit top gear. He raced the Opening Weekend in Belgium, showing flashes of his old self. But he lacked the final punch to win.

His next big target is the spring Classics. Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix all sit on his calendar. Visma's warning suggests he may not be the outright favorite he once was.

The team will keep building his race load gradually. Van Aert needs kilometers in his legs and sharpness in the bunch. Visma is likely to give him a full program through April.

Fans should not expect instant dominance. The "old Wout": the one who won three stages at the 2022 Tour de France and dominated the cobbles: may not appear until later in the year. Patience is the watchword.

For now, van Aert is racing. That itself is a win after the Vuelta crash. But the team's honest update makes clear: the full return is still a work in progress.