Report: Jumbo-Visma and Wout van Aert close to contract extension

Ton van Veen, CFO of the Dutch-based Jumbo supermarket chain, said that Team Jumbo-Visma is close to finalizing terms of a contract extension with Wout van Aert.

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“We have an important ambassador in Belgium,” van Veen said during the meeting. “Wout van Aert is praised by the Belgians. I can reveal that we are in talks with the Jumbo-Visma cycling team to extend his contract. He has another [year] commitment … but we want to keep him with us for longer. Those negotiations look very good,” reports the Dutch website Wielerflits.

The Belgian multi-disciplinary star is important to the Jumbo brand as an ambassador in his home country, and discussion regarding the opening of 10 additional Jumbo-branded supermarkets in Belgium was noted with the connection between van Aert and the Jumbo brand.

“Wout van Aert is very important to us for building brand awareness in Belgium,” van Veen continued.

Van Aert is under agreement with Jumbo-Visma through the end of the season, and a negotiating point has been his dream of winning the green jersey at the Tour de France.

Van Aert won the points classification at the Critérium du Dauphiné, just prior to the Tour de France.

In 2020, van Aert was victorious at Milano-Sanremo, Strade Bianche, and was second at the Tour of Flanders. The Belgian won stages 5 and 7 of the Tour de France, and proved to be a workhorse for team leader Primož Roglič.

Riding for his home country of Belgium, van Aert scored a silver medal in the UCI world road championship time trial and also the road race.