"I burned 7,300 calories today" - Wout Van Aert bends over backwards to help Simon Yates in key mountain stage

Team Visma | Lease a Bike didn't come to this Giro d'Italia with a particularly strong mountain team around their leader Simon Yates which means all the more work for the versatile Wout Van Aert. And the 30-year-old Belgian made sure to be ready to assist his teammate in key moments even in today's massive mountain stage.

"Simon is doing a good job, so it was a good stage for us, but a particularly tough stage. I burned 7,300 calories today," Van Aert reveals interesting peace of data in an interview with Sporza after the stage 16.

The Belgian all-rounder joined the 24-headed breakaway in what is one of the hardest days of this Giro d'Italia, amplified by the harsh weather at the start of the stage. His mission was to be at hand for Simon Yates in case the situation behind would call for it. "The intention was for me to be in the breakaway, especially if other GC teams were there, such as EF Education-EasyPost or INEOS Grenadiers."

"When Darren Rafferty and Joshua Tarling were in front, a gap opened up. I didn’t hesitate and crossed. Although it wasn’t the intention to ride with six riders in front for a whole hour, that secretly costs a lot of energy. But for me, the only way to be of value to Simon is to start with a small lead."

And he found that exact role for himself on the lower slopes of San Valentino where he launched his new Brittish teammate. "I don't know if it was because of me. But we had agreed that if the pace wasn't high enough, I would try to accelerate on the first less steep kilometers," Van Aert continues.

"The cards have been revealed today," Van Aert draws an important conclusion from the GC battle that now sees three men within half a minute in the standings. Including Simon Yates who stays second despite the massive ride of Carapaz who moved up to third. "And Richard Carapaz was already someone who was doing well and he proves that today."