"I’ve never particularly enjoyed flat sprints" - Wout van Aert plays down chances of taking Maillot Jaune on stage 1 of 2025 Tour de France
Cycling
For the first time in a few years, there is a Maillot Jaune up for grabs in an expected bunch sprint on stage 1 of the 2025 Tour de France. Among the contenders expected to be in the mix for the win is Team Visma | Lease a Bike star Wout van Aert. Speaking pre-stage however, the Belgian didn't seem as enthusiastic as some may have thought.
Whilst a relatively flat parcours means a bunch sprint is the widely predicted outcome for stage 1, it's not quite the certainty it might look on paper because of one very important factor. “The wind is an added element today," Van Aert explained in conversation with the Belgian media ahead of the Grand Depart in Lille. "We’re prepared for a tough stage."
"It can come from any direction, so you constantly have to gauge how the road is laid out," continues Van Aert, detailing the threat the potential echelons could cause. "In the final section, the wind will be even stronger, and if a split happens then, it’ll be hard to close the gap.”
As already mentioned however, if things come down to the expected bunch sprint finale, Van Aert doesn't too confident in his own hopes of securing the stage win and the Maillot Jaune. “Things can always change during the race, but it’s not as if I’ve ever particularly enjoyed flat sprints," he admits with honesty. "There’s always a lot of risk involved,” the Team Visma | Lease a Bike superstar adds in conclusion.
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🇫🇷 #TDF2025
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) July 5, 2025
🎙️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/0PGEVbM2A8
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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