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Wout van Aert quits cycling’s big race to be with his wife, Sarah, who is expecting

Published

8 hours ago

February 23, 2025

KELVIN

Wout van Aert leaves cycling’s most important race to be with his wife, Sarah, who is expecting their child.

“On the one hand it’s a strange feeling but it’s not a dilemma,” Van Aert said in a video announcing his withdrawal. “It’s an easy decision. I always thought that I would go home when my wife indicated that she needed me.”

Belgian world champion Wout Van Aert and his girlfriend Sarah De Bie celebrate after the elites

In this year’s Tour, Van Aert has been a crucial ally of defending champion Jonas Vingegaard on Jumbo-Visma’s eight-man team, using his unique strength and versatility to put pressure on Vingegaard’s top rival, two-time winner Tadej Pogacar.

But Thursday’s stage 18 began without Van Aert. He leaves this year’s edition of cycling’s landmark event without adding to his career nine stage wins. Van Aert said that while he had hoped to make it to Paris, he’s been discussing a potential early exit with his team.

“I always thought that I would go home when my wife indicated that she needed me,” the Belgian said. With the family’s doctor assessing that labor is imminent, he said, “My place is now at home.”

Van Aert, 28, said his teammates “are 100% behind me,” and he’s confident that they’ll shepherd Vingegaard, who now has a comfortable lead of more than 7 minutes over Pogacar, to the podium in Paris.

This year’s Tour de France saw a fascinating struggle between Vingegaard and Pogacar, with the two most recent champions battling for every second as the race approached its final week. However, Vingegaard ultimately sealed his lead in the Alps, winning the time trial on Tuesday and the spectacular mountain stage on Wednesday.