Wout Van Art may have taken a break from racing after finishing his spring classics campaign in Paris-Roubaix earlier this month. But the Jumbo Visma star opted for a bikepacking vacation in France rather than spending time on a sunny beach.

The Belgian rider took his gravel bike on a trip to Champagne this week, completing two 7-hour rides.

Van Aert, along with three fellow riders, took out Cervelo's Aspero-5, a lightweight, racy gravel bike, and rode 170 km south across Belgium from Herentals to Darbuy on Wednesday (opens in new tab).

The group rode gravel and off-road sections, and VanArt's bike was fully equipped with handlebars, saddle and top tube bags. In addition to a bike worthy of his sponsorship, VanArt also rode fully equipped with his team kit.

On the second day of the trip, VanArt rode 156 km in 7.5 hours (opens in new tab).

In chilly conditions, he and his companions tackled a 2,686-meter ascent. Strava KOM holders in the area can rest easy. Van Aert did not try to force his record.

Van Aert ran the spring classic season with the Jumbo Visma team, taking podiums in Milan - San Remo, Ghent - Wevelgem, and Paris - Roubaix.

He will return to racing in the Tour de Suisse in June before the Tour de France in July.