Wout van Aert confident but realistic towards Flanders: "I see few possible scenarios where you beat Mathieu and Pogacar"
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike is a team of big hitters and terrific riders, but in the cobbled classics it's main weapon will be Wout van Aert. The Belgian is always grounded, knowing he faces generational rivals in Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, but is confident that it is possible to reach the level to beat them.
“I think I initially had a difficult winter, but after that I was able to work well. I also haven't forgotten how I felt in the Vuelta a España. That knee injury was very annoying, but never of such a nature that I thought 'this is not going to be resolved'," the Belgian shared with Wielerflits. "In that respect, I was able to finish this winter with a certain confidence, that I can get back to my usual level.”
Van Aert rode through the cyclocross campaign with some technical difficulties but with good legs, a few wins in the bag and a silver medal at the World Championships where he wasn't sure to participate at first. It was a strong winter where he pushed through a nagging injury suffered in September of last year.
After a psychologically difficult year, marked by two crashes that had disastrous consequences, he starts his season next week at the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior and then backs that up with the Volta ao Algarve. But all of this is with the cobbled classics in mind. He admits he was surprised when he learnt of Tadej Pogacar's schedule.
“I didn’t really curse, but I was mainly impressed by his program. Where he still takes on a lot of hay," he tells. "In many classics, there are still many strategies and everything is possible, of course also in the Tour of Flanders. But that is also the race that is decided by the legs. I see few possible scenarios where you beat Mathieu and Pogačar, while you yourself are less strong," van Aert admits. A brilliant climber in this kind of terrain, a very experienced rider with a great team, but in Flanders this may not be enough.
In climbs such as the Koppenberg, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, at the end of 6 hours of racing, the very best can make the difference and Wout van Aert's hope is to have the legs to at least match his two history-making rivals. "In my case, I would have to be at least their equal to have a chance.”
But in Roubaix the story is not necessarily the same as the W/Kg and climbing legs matter little, and instead the raw power and tactics becomes more important. In this aspect, Visma has a more even fight and van Aert will start without the disadvantage that he has found in recent years against his rivals.
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- Two riders unlike any others over the past few decades, during this era of carb fueling, seems relevant to me.RidesHills23-03-2025
- Funny that they shorten women’s races but have no qualms about letting U23 do the same distances.Jumpyjohn23-03-2025
- Why is that relevant when discussing speed?Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- But he wasn’t the only one ;-)Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- Obviously the questions are more important to some here than to them or the team so I suggest looking for answers instead of asking questions between ourselves. We’ll probably get them unless someone actually goes to ask the protagonists themselves. Here are some starters : They like riding together; they have their own rivalry that helps bring out the best in both; they might get more points helping each other compared to racing separate races. In any case, unless we hear MJ complaining about it, I don’t think it’s going to change, it’s the Sepp Kuss syndrome all over again, fans lobbying against the will of the rider.Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- Mine goes to MVDP for entertaining us all year round :-) Stellar race, Ganna impressive in his own way as many predicted after some oddly lacklustre times.Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- i remember when not too long ago mathieu was regarded as a real tactical knucklehead. i’m not sure that was ever quite accurate, but it’s certainly the case that over the years he has become a real master tactician. in the biggest races, van der poel rarely makes choices that don’t fully optimize every specific advantage he has.OCexile23-03-2025
- Whatever the result, I believe the strategy by UAE to launch Pogacar was absolutely the right one. Unfortunately, they just were not able to execute it the way they must have planned, being all over the place at the start of the Cipressa.Cooldude23-03-2025
- They are without doubt not just the best two classics riders of this generation, but amongst the best of all time. MvdP is more suited to MSR and PR (which Pog has yet to race), while Pog is now almost untouchable at LBL and Lombardia. RVV is the only one where both basically have an equal chance to win.Cooldude23-03-2025
- bravissima!
maria2024202423-03-2025