Long-term contracts for star riders are becoming more and more common in professional cycling but Wout van Aert and his Visma-Lease a Bike team have gone one step further to sign a "unique" indefinite deal to take him to the end of his career.
The Belgian had been under contract to the end of the 2026 season but will stay at the team for the rest of his racing career.
Announcing the news on social media, the team simply stated "2019-eternity", though there has as-yet been no confirmation as to whether the contract will take Van Aert beyond retirement from racing.
"I didn't have to think long when this idea came up," Van Aert said. "First of all, because at Team Visma-Lease a Bike we work with the best people and the best equipment. Together we are constantly looking for improvement, which means we keep developing individually but also as a team. I owe a lot of success to that, we really do it together.
"But apart from that, I feel very much at home in this team, which is very important to me. This team is unique and has suited me for five years and I want to keep it that way. That's why I decided to stay here forever, and that feels really good."
Van Aert has been at the team since a congested split from his previous squad Vérandas Willems-Crelan in 2018 and has since gone on to establish himself as one of the biggest stars in the sport.
With Visma-Lease a Bike, the 30-year-old has won nine Tour de France stages as well as the green points jersey and three stages at the Vuelta a España in addition to major Classics at Milan-San Remo, Amstel Gold Race, Strade Bianche, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.
"Wout is of course a fantastic rider with a great palmarès," said team CEO Richard Plugge. "He is an all-rounder: a sprinter, a classic rider, a time trialist and on his best days he also wins a mountain stage like the famous victory on Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France.
"But besides that, Wout has really become an important culture carrier, an indispensable link in our team. He is a leader and a team player.
"He is a rider who also makes others in the team better, just through his insights and charisma. We are extremely happy with him and fortunately, that is mutual."
Van Aert has already drawn the curtain on his 2024 season, having crashed out of the Vuelta a España while leading both the points and mountain classifications at the race, having won three stages along the way.
He won't be heading to Zürich for the upcoming UCI Road World Championships, an event which has seen him win four silver medals across the road race and time trial.
His Vuelta crash was the latest instance of bad luck to hit him and his team this season, with Van Aert's spring campaign having been ruined by a major crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen.
Despite the crashes, he'll still end the year with a win at Kuurne to his name in addition to the trio of triumphs at the Vuelta and a bronze medal in the time trial at the Paris Olympic Games. His new contract extension ensures that he ends 2024 on a high note, too.
Despite the crashes, he'll still end the year with a win at Kuurne to his name in addition to the trio of triumphs at the Vuelta and a bronze medal in the time trial at the Paris Olympic Games. His new contract extension ensures that he ends 2024 on a high note, too.
