"Visma have something UAE don’t: Wout van Aert" - Danish icon sees Tour de France difference maker

One of the biggest questions heading into the 2025 Tour de France, is who will be better supported of the two main Maillot Jaune challengers. Both Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar can rely on super teams alongside them at Team Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates - XRG respectively, but according to one former Tour de France stage winner, it's Visma that have the advantage.

“Everyone agrees João Almeida will be an excellent helper in the mountains — a real asset for UAE. But Visma have something UAE don’t: Wout van Aert," explains the Danish cycling icon Rolf Sorensen in his analysis for TV2.de. "He (Van Aert ed.) was decisive for Jonas in previous Tours, and he played the same role for Simon Yates in this year’s Giro. It was largely down to him that Yates won by such a margin."

"He’s a real wildcard, and he looks to be back at 100 percent," continues the 60-year-old, two-time Tour de France stage winner, insisting that Van Aert can - and likely will - be a difference maker at the Tour de France this year. "He could end up being race-defining, a piece of the puzzle that tips the balance.”

As noted by Sorensen's colleague on TV2, former Giro d'Italia stage winner Lars Bak, the importance of having a quality team around you isn't just for Vingegaard and Pogacar's benefit in the mountains either.

“There’s wind, crashes, and stress — so you need riders who can keep you out of trouble. Especially this year, you can’t afford to get caught behind if there’s a crosswind. On paper, Visma are better than UAE in crosswinds,” explains the 45-year-old Dane.

Here too though, Bak sees Visma ahead of UAE. “In terms of support, Matteo Jorgenson is more complete than Almeida. He can ride in crosswinds and could even win the Tour of Flanders," concludes the Dane's analysis. "Looking at the full package, he’ll be there when it counts — especially in the early crosswind stages.”