Wout van Aert has enjoyed some well-earned downtime with Rigoberto Urán at El Giro de Rigo in Colombia at the weekend, completing a 155km Gran Fondo with fans and other pros as the star guest of the event.
The Belgian superstar was given a hero's welcome in South America and met by huge cheers on stage at the event presentation before letting his hair down and partying with Urán during the weekend.
Van Aert seemed to have the time of his life in Colombia ahead of returning to the stringent training schedule that comes in preparation for his cyclocross season and the 2024 WorldTour.
Fellow pros Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) were also present on the 155km ride southwest of Bogotá near Girardot.
Higuita and Van Aert tested the legs and sprinted alongside each other during the 4-hour ride before rejoining the more casual pace. Some 5,300 people took part in the Giro di Rio.
More than 30,000 fans were reportedly out on the roads in Colombia to see Van Aert and huge Colombian personality Urán, who was part of the nation’s rise to the top of professional cycling.
Urán looks to be heading into his final season of professional road cycling after signalling an expected retirement from the sport after the Paris Olympics to the Colombian press.
Van Aert's presence in Colombia was a huge success but the Belgian is now likely to return home away from the heat of South America to prepare for the cold, wet and muddy fields of cyclocross.
The Flemish media recently reported his limited cyclocross calendar for the season, with only five races confirmed so far on his program which begins in Mol on December 22.
He’s set to face off with long-term rival Mathieu van der Poel at each of the five scheduled races, but no official confirmation has come from Jumbo-Visma or his management as of yet.
