"It’s not all about good watts": Wout Van Aert might severely struggle with positioning this spring

Under normal circumstances, Wout Van Aert would have to viewed as one of the favourites of the Tirreno-Adriatico stage 2. Of course, he's no longer the king of gravel, but with rather kind slopes of the final sector, he definitely stood a chance against Mathieu van der Poel. Or he would, if he didn't enter the key turn with 5 kilometers to go completely out of position.

Meanwhile, Visma's GC leader Matteo Jorgenson was comfortably at the head of the peloton, clearly showing that the Dutch team knew how to put their key riders into the thick of action. So where was Van Aert?

Roxanne Knetemann and journalist Daniël Dwarswaard dive into the complicated history of Van Aert's career on In Het Wiel podcast. "Van Aert has already been through so much in his sporting life, so that definitely plays a role. But so does the stage of life he is in now, with children and his wife," suggesting that the 31-year-old Belgian is no longer willing to gamble with unclear odds.

That might cost you a victory at times, but it's a way to prevent further health issues - something Van Aert definitely isn't looking for considering his extensive medical report. "Crashes are part of cycling, but at some point that settles in your head. One way or another, all those crashes pile up on your SIM card. You try to push that fear as far away as possible, but at certain moments it can open up again."

Knetemann said it is "very difficult" in that kind of mental situation to still stay at the front in dangerous moments. "That is something Van Aert is going to run into with his spring ambitions. Because in those races, everything depends on positioning. It’s not all about good watts, but about where you are able to use them."

"If that is from 100th place, then the bird at the front has already flown," Knetemann referred primarily to a certain Slovenian winged species. "Van Aert is already just a little below Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, and if you then also position yourself less well, you simply cannot afford that. Not really against the whole peloton, but especially not against the two names we are talking about now."