"Some choices need to be reviewed" - Jan Bakelants blames Team Visma | Lease a Bike for Wout van Aert's struggles to win in 2025

Wout van Aert has put in a number of impressive performances on the road in 2025, but after losing out to compatriot Remco Evenepoel at Brabantse Pijl on Friday afternoon, the 30-year-old Belgian is still searching for his first win of the season. According to Belgian ex-pro Jan Bakelants, a lot of this rests with Team Visma | Lease a Bike and their questionable training methods with Van Aert.

“Choices were made during the training camp on Tenerife. I believe they were aiming to train Van Aert’s VLamax – the body’s ability to rapidly produce lactic acid – as low as possible, to better suit longer efforts,” begins Bakelants, himself a former Tour de France stage winner, in his criticism of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, whilst covering Brabantse Pijl on Friday for Sporza.

“That might make it seem as though Van Aert isn’t as good as he was a few years ago. But we forget that he’s now putting out more power than he did back then. The level has simply gone up, and in truth, Van Aert is still performing brilliantly,” Bakelants continued, insisting almost every part of his compatriot's race is working well - except the final sprint. “He’s coming up against some phenomenal riders – but that alone doesn’t explain that sprint. So yes, some choices need to be reviewed. The luxury of arriving at the finish line and winning in a sprint – that’s priceless. And he’s lost it.”

With Remco Evenepoel emerging victorious however, there was still a real Belgian success story at Brabantse Pijl 2025, with the double Olympic champion making a triumphant return to the peloton after a nasty training crash in December delayed his season start by months.

Is Evenepoel already ready to mix it up with Tadej Pogacar at the Amstel Gold Race this Sunday? “Based on today, I’d say yes – it’s possible. But of course, that’s a completely different story. We’ve already seen this spring what Pogacar can do: once he goes, he keeps going," previews Bakelants honestly. "Plenty of riders have already cracked trying to stay with him. As neutral fans, we can only hope Evenepoel can follow. Because I want to see that sprint between those two.”