No disappointment but happiness for Wout van Aert after coming close to Tour win: "Somehow I regained my confidence in the race"

Team Visma | Lease a Bike had quite an interesting first day at the Tour de France. Juan Ayuso's difficulties meant UAE Team Emirates postponed their attempt to put Jonas Vingegaard into difficulties; and in the end Wout van Aert would've likely won the stage and taken the yellow jersey if it wasn't for the daring attack of Romain Bardet. But nevertheless, the Belgian is happy to have made his presence felt back in the front of a race.

“This was a successful test. I never expected this, I am super happy with this. I just felt good today, and as it was, I had a chance to win a stage," van Aert told Sporza after the stage. "Somehow I regained my confidence in the race. There are still two strong riders ahead, who are also teammates. Then you know that they are going to ride head to head. Hats off to them, there was not much more we could do, so we are satisfied.”

Van Aert showed himself in much better form than a month ago at the Tour of Norway and comfortably survived the several climbs and extreme heat that was felt on the day. He was one of the very few riders who could sprint that did so, and so in the final hour of racing became a true candidate for the win specially as Visma took control of the peloton. The Dutch team had the support of others in the final kilometers as a sprint seemed possible, even likely, but DSM duo of Bardet and Frank van den Broek denied them the fight for victory.

Behind van Aert won the sprint, but for third place. Seemingly a deja vu to last year's second stage in San Sebastián... But this time van Aert was not angry with the result in the sheet, but instead quite happy with the form he's shown on the first day of the race.

“We completely changed the switch on the last climb, that was no longer the most difficult. We were also riding beforehand to keep the gap limited, but we had to let the other teams help to close the gap. After the last climb, control was quickly regained," he said. He should have other opportunities in the race, although not many will come in this opening week.