"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

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.