Visma DS on Wout van Aert's chances at Volta ao Algarve time-trial: "Time trials are not a goal at the moment"
Cycling
Wout van Aert is a multi-talented rider, and that means he can perform virtually anywhere. However, this also means that he has to prioritize different kinds of races throughout the season and at the time being, no focus has been given to the time-trial bike. Ahead of the Volta ao Algarve's time-trial, it means he can be on the backfoot against some of his rivals.
"It is a matter of setting priorities and making choices. Time trials are not a neglected child for Wout, but for the time being the focus is on something else," team DS Arthur van Dongen told Het Nieuwsblad. "For example, Wout has not been on his time trial bike in Mallorca in recent weeks". With the cyclocross season, and now the build-up towards the spring, the Belgian has effectively not had much of a reason to do TT-specific training when he's got bigger goals at hand.
"Time trials are not a goal at the moment. If that were the case, he would have had to train much more on the time trial bike than he has done now. Whether time trials will ever be a major goal for Wout? That is something I dare not say now," he continues.
Van Aert has in fact obtained a medal at the time-trial Olympic Games event a few months ago, showing just how strong he is in the discipline. In the Algarve he's looked to chase a win in the sprints but that didn't come to be. The time-trial will be an interesting challenge, against such a star-studded field.
"You are only as strong as your opponent allows you to be. Anything is possible, but there are young guys who knock hard on the door and who do make time trials a specific goal. That is a difference," van Dongen says, which means that the little details can favour his rivals. Jonas Vingegaard specially, his teammate, will likely have spent a lot more time in the setup and will be chasing the stage and GC win today.
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