"Top 10, that's possible" - Wout van Aert's coach denies winning Tour de France is possible, but acknowledges other possibilities

Wout van Aert is perhaps the most versatile rider in the current peloton and after a Tour de France where - until stage 18 - he's battled for time-trials, won sprint and punchy stages, dominated the points classification and acted as a crucial domestique for Jonas Vingegaard including in the mountains, the debate on whether he could do it himself emerged once again.

Wielerflits asked van Aert's coach, Marc Lamberts, about his opinion on the possibility. He explained: “If you look purely at power, Wout is just as strong as, for example, Greg Van Avermaet. And he pedals the same power as Sep Vanmarcke. But will he still achieve that power after 250 kilometers? This may be feasible in the long run, but it will take time," he said. 

For the question, can Wout van Aert win the Tour de France one day, Lamberts is clear: “Top 10, that's possible. But he cannot win the Tour. Unless there are no steep uphill finishes and the Tour stays away from the high mountains... How long will he be able to settle for places of honor?”

As an almost one of a kind road rider, besides being a cyclocross superstar, many scenarios have been debated over where he could take his potential one day. With occasional performances in the mountains of all three past Tour de France editions - including his third place atop Hautacam - and his second place at last year's Tirreno-Adriatico which featured high mountains, the idea has been in the minds of many.

However Lamberts explains that a normal preparation would not be enough, as Van Aert's body composition is not that of a climber, and would have to undergo serious changes if he were ever to be in a true battle for a Grand Tour.

“There is about 0.6 watts per kilogram of body weight difference between Wout's threshold and the threshold of the best classification riders. That's a lot. Moreover, Wout has no fat reserve, so you can't get it there either," he explained. For now van Aert can enjoy his and Jumbo-Visma's incredibly successful Tour de France, where he is on his way of easily obtaining his first green jersey.