There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic for Wout van Aert following Saturday afternoon's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, where the Belgian eventually finished in third.
Analyzing the race in the aftermath however, Belgian cycling expert, Michel Wuyts believes this was not a van Aert at his best. “We saw a great race with great dynamics," Wuyts says in comments collected by Het Laaste Nieuws. “You also had a collaboration at the front between men who had just come from an altitude training camp and riders who still have to go, such as van Aert. You also saw some uncertainty grow, especially when Skujins started attacking the Berendries. That attack showed that van Aert is still a bit short.”
At that point in the race, things looked very good for a van Aert victory, with Team Visma | Lease a Bike having three of the six leaders. Ultimately, they weren't able to capitalise on this situation though, with the peloton completing the catch within the final 15km. Nevertheless, it was the Yellow-and-Black outfit who celebrated on the final podium as Jan Tratnik won with van Aert taking the aforementioned third place.
Wuyts believes van Aert is now well placed to challenge for bigger victories in the coming few months. “In the past, his altitude training sessions have always been successful. If he comes back as strong this time, he will have the 105 percent needed to beat Mathieu van der Poel in the Tour of Flanders,” the Belgian analyst concludes.
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