Wout van Aert and Visma accept new role at Tour of Flanders: "Go to the Tour of Flanders without that status of absolute favourite"
Cycling
Wout van Aert will line up for Sunday’s Tour of Flanders,
but for the first time in his career, he will do so without the burden, or
privilege, of being one of the pre-race favourites. All eyes are instead on
Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, widely seen as the two strongest
contenders for the cobbled Monument.
Despite the shifting spotlight, Van Aert remains motivated
and focused on delivering a strong performance in what he still considers a key
target.
“The Tour of Flanders is a highlight of my season every
year. The Tour remains special to ride as a Belgian,” Van Aert said in a team
press release. “This year I peaked again for the cobblestone monuments and I
think we proved last Wednesday, however disappointing the outcome was – that we
as a team are ready to compete again.”
It will be a new experience for the Team Visma | Lease a
Bike rider to approach De Ronde without the expectation of victory. Still, he
sees it as an opportunity rather than a setback.
“For me it is new to go to the Tour of Flanders without that
status of absolute favourite. That does not take away that I and the rest of
the team are extremely motivated to make it a beautiful race on Sunday,” Van
Aert added.
Sports director Grischa Niermann echoed the belief that,
despite the disappointment of Dwars door Vlaanderen, the team has reason to be
optimistic heading into Flanders.
“Dwars door Vlaanderen was a big disappointment. But
afterwards we also had the time to look at the positive aspects of that race.
We perfectly executed our plan to take control of the race early and attack and
largely imposed our will on the peloton. That is what we stand for and we must
remember from Wednesday.”
With the absence of a top favourite in their ranks, Niermann
emphasised the need for a collective strategy on Sunday.
“We don't have the top favourite in our team, but we have to
play our strengths across the board. We are confident that we can play our
part. Everyone is in good shape: from Edoardo Affini and Tosh Van der Sande to
Matteo and Wout. The Tour of Flanders is one of the most beautiful races of the
year and is always one of our main goals. So everyone is looking forward to
making it a beautiful race.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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