“It was beyond expectations" - Wout van Aert surprised as he puts Tour de France heartbreak and injuries behind him
CyclingSunday, 02 August 2026 at 13:45
Wout van Aert is happy that his fitness is where he thought it would be as he returned to action at the Tour of Denmark this week, but he certainly did not expect to be taking three victories in a row in a commanding race.
The Visma | Leade a Bike jersey holds the blue jersey for race leader right from the off in Denmark, and took three sprint victories in a row on the opening stages before missing out to a strong breakaway move on Saturday.
Did he expect such commanding results right from the off? Perhaps not. After a training crash in June derailed his Tour de France, a revitalised Belgian has re-found his top form right on time for a potential Vuelta a Espana participation.
However, securing blue on Sunday's final stage is of immediate concern. He holds a 21-second gap over Lukas Kubis in second and 28 seconds on Henrik Pedersen. With Christophe Laporte just a solitary second off the podium, the team face the challenge of trying to elevate the Frenchman to third and maintain their lead.
“We will make the choice that gives the best chance of winning,” Van Aert told VTM NIEUWS. “It would be nice to stand on the podium with Christophe [Laporte], but the priority is that blue jersey and the best chance of winning the stage.”
Van Aert focused on controlling for bunch sprint
The parcours would signal that it could be straightforward for Visma to at least keep van Aert safe. However, control was on the mind of van Aert in their bid to fight attackers and ensure a sprint will give them the best chance of doing so.
"On paper, it is the easiest stage, but we still need to ensure we can maintain control. Our intention is to defend the leader's jersey, and if we can turn it into a sprint, we will throw ourselves into the fight for the win again."
Either way, it's been a successful return for the Paris-Roubaix winner, who admits that the results he's taken weren't necessarily on his radar before the race.
Wout van Aert
Results beyond expectations
He concluded: “It was beyond expectations in terms of the result, but it was what I hoped to feel in my legs. I made progress day by day, so it all worked out."
One of his expected rivals in a bunch sprint finale is Toon Aerts, who echoed the Belgian in predicting that Laporte will have a say on the final classifications.
Aerts said: “I think it will be a sprint. We will be at the finish very quickly after the intermediate sprints. I think Laporte definitely still wants to ride those sprints to finish in the top 3 of the general classification via bonus seconds.
"Up until those intermediate sprints, I expect a very hard race. After that, it is a tailwind until the local lap. It could be a very fast day.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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