“I quickly realized that it would only work on that climb” - Is the real Wout van Aert emerging after fighting mood on Giro stage 8?
Cycling
It’s been a frustrating Giro d’Italia debut so far for Wout
van Aert. While Mads Pedersen stole the headlines in week one with three stage
victories, Van Aert has been left chasing shadows, and missing out.
But on stage 8, the Belgian finally showed some attacking
intent. Not once, not twice, but three times Van Aert tried to ride clear of
the peloton and bridge across to Mads Pedersen, who was up the road at the
time. Yet each move was shut down, and after his third attempt, Van Aert
dropped back to the team car, and that was that for the day. No Giro stage win
just yet.
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Bike leader, who hadn’t featured prominently since his second place on stage 1.
After the stage, Van Aert maintained a light mood despite the disappointment.
“Do the interview quickly, because it will be dark soon,” he
joked with Nieuwsblad.
“It took a long time for the breakaway to come together. I
tried, but it wasn’t enough to really get ahead. From the moment we got to
mountainous terrain, I had already decided in my head that I wouldn’t try
anymore there.”
Van Aert acknowledged the dynamics of the day made it hard
to pull off a move.
“You just knew that a lot of people wanted to get into that
breakaway. It was also ungrateful to get to the front early on these roads with
a lot of headwind. I quickly realized that it would only work on that climb. So
my attempts were a bit against my better judgment.”
In a peloton packed with ambition, Van Aert openly admitted that
his repeated chases were always going to be a gamble.
“There are 200 men riding here, 150 of whom want to get into
that breakaway, so it makes sense that they jump on each other's wheel if
someone wants to escape. That's what I would do. I just didn't succeed. In the
end, it must have been the men with the best legs who got ahead.”
It wasn’t a breakthrough day for Van Aert, but his repeated
attacks were perhaps the clearest indication yet that he’s beginning to feel
stronger. As the Giro moves into its second week, fans and rivals alike will be
watching closely to see if his legs, and luck, start to turn soon.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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