"Wout van Aert is with the wrong team" - Belgian classics legend Rik van Looy

Classics legend of the 60's Rik van Looy still keeps a close eye in the sport where he has thrived, and he believes that Wout van Aert is in the wrong team to succeed in this terrain.

“About the unfortunate fact that Wout van Aert is with the wrong team, for example. And that he should change teams. I had already mentioned that five years ago in an interview with 'Gazet van Antwerpen'. But then they laughed at that," Rik van Looy told Het Laatste Nieuws. "But Tom [Boonen] also started talking about it. 'For example, if he had ridden for Soudal Quick-Step, he would have won at least five major classics.' I believe that too. Isn't Jumbo-Visma a stage-race-oriented team? He will now ride the Giro in 2024. But that is still a long way off. I would not do that. The Giro is much more difficult than the Tour, always has been. Just take a look at the stage schedule.

Whilst van Aert may not aim for the GC and instead stage wins, his change of schedule and direction away from the Tour has led to a lot of debate. Van Looy is of the opinion that there is no great logic to it, but argues that in previous years van Aert has not achieved the desired big wins in the classics due to the team he has signed for. Regarding Remco Evenepoel he also casts his doubts on the potential of succeeding at the Tour de France.

“I am absolutely not anti-Remco and sincerely hope that he will one day succeed, but I have doubts. Okay, he won the Vuelta a España last year. But his main competitor, Primoz Roglic, dropped out prematurely. He paid a price in this year's Vuelta. I'm a bit afraid that the French climbs will be too hard for him," he argues. "Again: that has nothing to do with his qualities, because they are undeniably present. But I've experienced it myself. I could also climb quite well, at one point even finishing in the top four in mountain stages in big tours three days in a row. Felt fine, followed smoothly. 'Oh, that will be fine' I thought. Until those real, pure climbers opened the throttle. And I immediately understood what time it was.”