"I don't want to focus on the points for green" - Wout van Aert prioritizes World Championships over Tour de France goals

The goals for the Jumbo-Visma riders have been revealed yesterday at the team's presentation in Amsterdam, and the riders' schedules better known. Wout van Aert's decision to prioritize the World Championships over the Tour de France has also been made clear.

"Green was a great adventure, but stage victories are more memorable and the World Championships is the higher goal. That's why I don't want to focus on the points for green from the start," van Aert told Sporza following the team's presentation.

Whilst this year, as the Belgian focused on the points classification, the standings were decided from very early on, the versatile supertalent admits that he will likely not enter the 2023 with the same goal.

“It could become a goal during the Tour, but I will choose my days much more [carefully], and in the final week you still have many opportunities. You can make choices then, and it’s much more sensible that way," van Aert continued. He's mentioned that he may look out for the green jersey if it fits, but not pursuing it is also an option.

The cobbled classics, Tour des Flandres and Paris-Roubaix more specifically, will be his main goal for the spring. With the Glasgow World Championships taking place the weeks following the Tour de France, there is a change of priorities and preparation schedule in order to arrive to both in the best form.

He's decided to skips Liège-Bastogne-Liège for example, where he finished third this year. “It was a difficult decision not to go to Liège, but I want to focus on the summer because the Tour and the World Championships are so close," he concluded.