"There is no lack of ambition and confidence. But he is not the top favorite" - Wout Van Aert approaches E3 without unrealistic expectations
Cycling
Wout Van Aert last competed on the first weekend of March at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne but that race didn't go to his plan and thus the past three weeks were used to finetune the Belgian's form some more. This week the Classics campaign really begins and Van Aert will be in the position where he is expected to deliver results.
How was the spectacle of Pogacar, Van der Poel and Ganna at La Primavera viewed back on Tenerife? "A fantastic spectacle," Visma | Lease a Bike DS Mathieu Heijboer tells Het Laatste Nieuws. "That made it clear that two key players were already there one hundred percent for the coming weeks. And there is no doubt about who will be the absolute top favorites."
Analyst Jan Bakelants stated that the high level of competition has reached Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Heijboer: "It has mainly fueled Wout's motivation. Of course, it is a shame in a way that he could not be part of it himself, but it is not like we and he suddenly think: 'Oh, we have no chance at all anymore.'"
That doesn't mean that Team Visma | Lease a Bike doesn't have a lot of respect for their opponents. "We acknowledge and respect that Pogacar and Van der Poel have already shown some great things. But we're not going to make ourselves smaller because of that. Wout is also doing fine, mind you. We just have to wait and see how he'll feel in that first race."
Last year, Van Aert ran into a too strong Van der Poel at the E3 Saxo Classic. He ultimately ended up fighting himself more than his opponents. "That could well be the case again now," says Heijboer. "There is no lack of ambition and confidence. But he is not the top favorite for the victory, that much is clear. If Friday does not lead to what it should be, we will not lose any sleep over it."
"Because, again, we are following a long-term plan. In which we are working towards the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. And then the Giro d'Italia. Only then do we hope to score."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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