"It's easy to say this victory means a lot to me, I almost can't explain it" - Wout van Aert

Wout van Aert has won a lot during his career, but over the past few years his career has been more marked by injuries, ilnesses and the inability to beat Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar. But today, in the streets of Siena, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider won for the first time this year and did so in style at the end of the one of the most memorable Giro d'Italia stages in recent memory.

"It's easy to say this victory means a lot to me, I almost can't explain it. It had to be here I believe, because this place is where my road career started back in 2018 and to win this stage after a long period without delivering. Finally again... It feels so good," an emotional van Aert said in a post-race interview.

In 2024 he had two brutal crashes that have almost completely wiped out his goals for the whole season. This year he finished a disappointing second at Dwars door Vlaanderen, and then was once again beaten to second at Brabantse Pijl - whilst finishing fourth in both cobbled monuments. At the Giro d'Italia he had a chance to hit hard early on, but an illness prevented him from entering the race well.

Now on stage 9, we've seen the best van Aert once again. He had freedom from Visma to race for his own result after showing good legs in the opening sectors, and matched every attack of INEOS Grenadiers and then Isaac del Toro through the gravel sectors.

"I have to say he did such an amazing ride, I felt a bit shit not to pull too much with him because obviously he is also a competitor for my teammate Simon Yates so I had to leave the work to him," van Aert said of Del Toro, the new race leader.

But in the 16% climb to Via Santa Caterina, Van Aert had to go to the absolute limit to hold the wheel. But once he did so, he moved ahead of the Mexican and held him back to take his first win of the year. "But still then it was so close, I had to fight all the way to the top to the streets of Siena. Because I knew the finale pretty well I needed to do the most in the last few corners".

It is a comeback in style for the Belgian, who has taken win number 50 of his career in the same place where he's won Strade Bianche five years ago. "Lactate was everywhere and I didn't do a really good last corner I almost missed it. But once you're there in first position you're close to the line, I know that after a few Strade Bianches".