In a contract tug-of-war, U23 cyclo-cross world champion Wout Van Aert has added another year to his contract with the Vastgoedservice-Golden Palace team after his current Telenet-Fidea manager Hans Kasteren tried to buy his contract back.
The 19-year-old parlayed his new status as holder of the rainbow jersey into a more lucrative contract with the team of Timmy Simons, having inked a four-year deal prior to the world championships in Hoogerheide.
Van Aert now has a professional contract that runs through December 31, 2018. "I am convinced that I made the right choice," Van Aert said. "This agreement shows a lot of trust from the Vastgoedservice - Team Golden Palace. The management has planned a great project that I definitely want to be a part of. The outstanding results of the team during their first two months of existence now prove their vision was correct."
Van Aert joins former Telenet-Fidea teammates Rob Peeters and Joeri Adams in the squad on March 1.