A significant setback for Wout van Aert has come to light as the Belgian cyclist has been ordered to pay a hefty fine. The Court of Cassation recently rejected his appeal, leaving the financial penalty unchanged.
Fine Remains Unchanged
This legal battle stems from Van Aert’s 2018 contract dispute with his former team led by Nick Nuyens. In 2021, the Antwerp Labour Court fined Van Aert €662,000 for breaching his contract without proper justification. Unhappy with the ruling, Van Aert appealed the decision. Meanwhile, Nuyens also appealed, seeking €1.1 million in damages.
However, the Court of Cassation dismissed both appeals. “On January 13, 2025, the Court of Cassation ruled on the case involving cyclist Wout van Aert and his former employer/team. The court rejected the cassation appeals filed by both parties against the Antwerp Labour Court’s June 9, 2021 decision,” the ruling stated.
The judgment confirmed that Van Aert must pay €662,041.31 as a severance penalty, as the court deemed his termination of the contract “without urgent cause” unjustified. The penalty, therefore, remains unchanged.
The Timeline of Events
In September 2019, Van Aert’s patience with Veranda’s Willems-Crelan, led by Nuyens, ran out. Van Aert had grown increasingly dissatisfied with the team’s stagnation and the lack of competitive equipment. Despite being a rising star with major ambitions on the road, he felt unsupported in achieving his goals.
While Van Aert had verbally agreed to join Jumbo-Visma in January 2020 upon the expiry of his contract, the situation quickly spiraled out of control. Nuyens, feeling betrayed, opposed the move, leading to tensions that eventually exploded.
Citing “compelling reasons,” Van Aert terminated his contract prematurely. “Recent events have made it impossible to continue working with the team,” Van Aert stated at the time. He refrained from sharing further details due to the delicate nature of the situation.
A Long-Awaited Conclusion
The dispute culminated in a prolonged legal battle, with both parties refusing to back down. The recent verdict finally brings closure to the case. However, it also solidifies the financial blow to Van Aert, who now faces the full burden of the €662,000 fine.
While this chapter in Van Aert’s career is now closed, it underscores the high stakes and complexities professional athletes face when navigating contract disputes in the world of competitive sports.
