Team strength "will be key in the Tour this year" Wout van Aert assures

The Critérium du Dauphiné was a wildly successful affair for Jumbo-Visma who saw themselves taking three stage wins, first and second in the overall classification aswell as most of the race in the yellow&green jerseys and multiple second places. Wout van Aert largely contributed to that, and he's talked about the conclusions from the week.

“It means we are on the right way. It’s super motivating, and it gives a lot of confidence to finish off a week in the Dauphiné like this. This is one of the hardest stage races of the year," he told after the finale at Plateau de Solaison where his teammates Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard stormed to their respective wins. 

Van Aert won the stages to Beauchastel and Chaintré and finished second on the individual time-trial and the hilltop finish in Sancy. Besides, he has won another bunch sprint on stage two, but for minor places. The Belgian was all over the headlines for six days, and in the final two he worked for the team's GC aspirations. Managing to not burn himself as he reported in Tirreno-Adriatico last year, he took the ascents easier whilst having his work be done in the flat roads. 

On the climbs Steven Kruijswijk proved to be more than enough support for the team, who dominated the final stages of the race aswell. “It’s hard to say if Primož is improving because he doesn’t have much to improve. He’s won three times the Vuelta, but he was unlucky a few times in the Tour,” van Aert said.

The Slovenian won't be the sole team leader in France this year though as Jonas Vingegaard has put on an equally impressive performance over the week, devoting himself to his teammates but nevertheless having the legs to distance all rivals in the final climb of the race and taking the stage win - besides second in the GC.

“The strength of the team is even a bigger advantage than in the last years, and I believe this will be key in the Tour this year," van Aert points out, and Jumbo-Visma are currently heading into the Tour with the preparation seemingly ideal.