Wout van Aert: "Everything has gone as I wanted, so I am very confident"

After having won it in 2020, Wout van Aert is looking to replicate glory in Sanremo and he has managed to avoid illness to be at the start with high ambitions and a very strong support team.

After Paris-Nice - where he won a stage and proved crucial to Primoz Roglic's win - he has mentioned to be feeling some fatigue, however not the same sensations that saw him miss out on big results in the classics last year: “I have to admit that I was quite tired, but I am fully prepared. On Wednesday I felt fit again. So I was able to rest well and spend time with my family. Everything has gone as I wanted, so I am very confident.”

“I've already raced many different finals here in San Remo. The fact that my worst result is sixth place also shows that this race suits me," he added. Wout van Aert is heading to the race as the safest bet for a top result, as he is one of the world's best puncheurs and sprinters combined.

“This is the first time that I am at the start here with such a strong team. Because I have such a good team, I will be able to save energy for longer. Very important in this game. Primož Roglič will be there too, which means a lot to me," he concluded. Despite being at the start, Roglic has said he'd be in full support of van Aert. Nevertheless he is a strong card to play in any scenario, and the presence of an in-form Christophe Laporte will mean Jumbo have several wildcards that suit this race's characteristics very well.

Jumbo-Visma for Milano-Sanremo: Wout van Aert, Primoz Roglic, Edoardo Affini, Christophe Laporte, Tosh van der Sande, Jos van Emden and Nathan van Hooydonck.