“Normally this finish should be my thing” – Wout van Aert hints at another shot as Giro stage 13 finishes on Monte Berico

After a difficult start to the Giro d’Italia, and 2025, Wout van Aert is finally beginning to resemble the rider fans are used to seeing. And he’s not ruling himself out of contention on today’s uphill finish to Monte Berico.

On stage 9, Van Aert stunned the peloton with an epic win on the gravel to Siena, one of the most emotional and hard-fought victories of his career. Then, on stage 12, he showed another side of his class, delivering a textbook lead-out for Olav Kooij, helping Team Visma | Lease a Bike secure yet another win. Now, as the Giro heads into stage 13, the question is whether Van Aert could once again race for himself.

“Normally this finish should be my thing,” Van Aert told Sporza ahead of the stage. “It’s a tough finish and I like doing a tough sprint like this. But it’s a small chance, because there are also GC guys here who are super strong on such a finish.”

The final ramp to Monte Berico is short and sharp, not dissimilar to finishes Van Aert has excelled on in the past, but he remains realistic about his chances given the calibre of GC riders in the mix.

“There’s also enough wind for some action,” he noted, “but the direction isn’t perfect. It won’t be a determining factor.”

Van Aert has clearly done his homework, too. He reviewed footage of Philippe Gilbert’s 2015 win on the same climb. “Impressive, huh,” he said. “He had overestimated the opposition a bit, because he could have easily waited longer.”