Wout van Aert is currently under scrutiny following a long-standing legal dispute stemming from his departure from the Sniper Cycling team in 2018. A Belgian court recently upheld a ruling ordering Van Aert to pay €662,000 in damages for unilaterally terminating his contract with the team. Although the compensation has been paid, legal representatives of Sniper Cycling have since pushed for further action, calling on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to initiate disciplinary proceedings.
The UCI has acknowledged receipt of the request and is reviewing whether Van Aert, his current team Jumbo-Visma, and his agent breached UCI regulations during the contract termination and subsequent transfer. If violations are confirmed, potential sanctions include fines and a possible race suspension ranging from one to four months, depending on the ruling.
Despite speculation, no official suspension has been issued, and Van Aert has not made public statements on the matter. Recent reports of his withdrawal from the Belgian national championships were linked to illness and are not connected to the UCI case. For now, Van Aert’s status for upcoming races, including the Tour de France, remains unchanged pending further developments from cycling’s governing body.
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