“Wout has something in mind” – Could today finally be the day for Wout van Aert?

The sprinters are eyeing today's stage at the Tour de France, but the two categorised climbs along the route may shake things up, especially for someone like Wout van Aert. He’s yet to win a stage at this year’s Tour and hasn’t taken one since 2022. After working to support Jonas Vingegaard on the first ascent of Mont Ventoux yesterday, questions remain about whether Van Aert will go for it himself today.

"I'll keep my eyes peeled. As a team, we're also looking ahead to the coming days and don't want to waste too much energy," Van Aert told Sporza, hinting at a cautious approach. "In an open race I have a free role to move with, but I can't force it myself."

When asked if he’d contest the sprint, his answer was hesitant: "Maybe. He'll be feeling tired, but it's a fast sprint with a tailwind... Then it's difficult to beat guys like Tim Merlier, but maybe I'll try."

At the team bus earlier, Team Visma | Lease a Bike director Frans Maassen spoke with confidence about his rider. "I think Wout van Aert is doing really well," he said. Still, he acknowledged the uncertainty around how the stage will unfold. "It doesn't necessarily have to be a sprint. It could still rain, and a breakaway could easily break away. So it's not a given that we'll just sprint."

Maassen made it clear Van Aert will be mostly on his own today. "Wout will have to find his way a bit. We can't all offer a lot of help. He'll have to do his own thing a bit, but Wout is still fresh. He gave good input in the meeting this morning."

Van Aert joked about his involvement in the pre-stage planning. "Um... That's not so bad. I think I'm always talkative in meetings. Today was no different."

As for the strategy? Maassen gave little away. "You'll see that later in our documentary. I can't tell you, because the enemy is listening, and another Belgian is the top favorite. Tim Merlier, yes. But Wout has something in mind."