Wout Van Aert Extends With Jumbo-Visma Until 2024
By: Pro Tour Cycling
Wout Van Aert has extended his contract with team Jumbo-Visma Through 2024. Originally, Wout’s contract was set to expire at the end of 2021, and as you can all imagine the Belgian cycling star’s rider stock was at an all time high. After winning Strade-Bianche, Milano-San Remo, 2 stages of the Tour de France, and countless other incredible performances in 2020, every single team in pro cycling played their hand in trying to sign Wout.
Rumors of Wout going to Ineos have been circulating for the past year, and it may have put pressure on the Jumbo-Visma to step up to the plate and get the funds together to offer the star a worthy contract. Ultimately, it was JV who had the upper and for the entire negotiation process because they had the ability to market Wout to their existing sponsors, and had already won the riders confidence in their support system.
Here’s what Wout had to say
“Also after ’21, I am a very proud member of Team Jumbo-Visma. I am very happy with that”, Van Aert said at the training camp in Alicante. “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. I owe a lot to the team to be able to work towards my goals.
The decision that I wanted to re-sign was was made pretty 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. I am very happy that I can pursue further successes in this familiar environment. I feel very good here and the past years have shown that I can do justice here.
I don’t have to explain to you that there was more interest in me, but I have never had talks with another team. 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.”
The entire world of cycling is looking forward to the WVA vs MVDP showdown of 2021, and we’re only just weeks away from the start of the classics so long as everything goes to plan.