"I don't think it's realistic" - Sombre Wout van Aert rules himself out of contention for stage 5 at 2025 Giro d'Italia

On paper at least, stage 5 of the 2025 Giro d'Italia is almost perfectly suited for a rider of Wout van Aert's capabilities. An up and down parcours that will likely see puncheurs, fast finishing GC men and even some of the stronger sprinters mixing it out, Van Aert would ordinarily be front and centre when assessing the main contenders for the win.

The truth is though, that the Van Aert who is taking to the start of stage 5 just isn't quite at the level you might expect of the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star. As a result, the 30-year-old cut a sombre figure in his pre-stage interview, keen to rule himself out of contention for a potential stage win, casting his sights further on in the Grand Tour when hopefully, his legs have improved.

"I don't think it's realistic to be fighting for the win today," Van Aert shrugged in a pre-stage interview with Belgian media, when asked about his hopes for the day. "I just hope my legs will feel better than they have over the past few days. It's a very tough finale, and judging by how hard the racing has been lately, you can be sure it's going to be really tough again."