"I am surprised by the tactics of UAE Emirates" - Wout van Aert denied opening stage victory at the Tour de France
Cycling
The opening stage of the 2023 Tour de France was a thriller. For Jumbo-Visma's Wout van Aert however, there will be a tinge of disappointment, as he failed to take victory and move into the Maillot Jaune.
"Chapeau to the team, only my legs started to hurt 200 meters from the line. It's really sour," the Belgian said to Sporza in a post-stage interview. "I am surprised by the tactics of UAE Emirates. We had previously expected that they would put everything on Pogacar, but this is not bad for us."
Adam Yates, the supposed dual-leader of UAE Team Emirates alongside Tadej Pogacar, was the eventual stage winner ahead of his twin brother Simon Yates. For van Aert, the day wasn't all bad though, as he kept his leader, Jonas Vingegaard safely in the mix.
“I would have preferred to take the stage victory myself, but I am happy with the position I was in. Because the last two or three climbs it was really fast. But it is disappointing that someone stays ahead," he analyses. "We tried everything to get them back, but it didn't work. Sepp and Wilco drove for me. For Jonas, that gap did not have to be closed. Mentally it was over when I saw that we weren't going to make it anymore."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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