Wout van Aert leads Jumbo-Visma in pursuit of Milano-Sanremo victory

Wout van Aert had had a slow and calm start to the season without pressure at Tirreno-Adriatico. Having combined cyclocross with the road, every step was carefully planned and the Belgian will tomorrow make his classics debut as he leads Jumbo-Visma at Milano-Sanremo.

Van Aert was the winner in the Via Roma back in 2020 and has seemed to evolve in form throughout the Italian race. The punchy profile and flat finale will suit him well and he will be one of the big favourites for La Primavera. Jumbo-Visma as always however bring a very strong team, with a lot of the cobbled classics block present as they prepare for the biggest goals.

Sanremo being the first monument of the season means it will be a critical moment. Christophe Laporte comes as a co-leader, after showing tremendous form at the Opening Weekend. The Frenchman showed last year capacity to win the big races and sprinted to second at the World Championships - first out of the peloton - which was an ideal test for his ability to contest Sanremo.

Attila Valter who was fifth at Strade Bianche and Jan Tratnik who finished on the Top10 of Sanremo last year will be their prime domestiques. Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne runner-up Nathan van Hooydonck will also be a critical domestique when it comes to positioning. Edoardo Affini and Jos van Emden conclude the lineup and will be providing support throughout most of the 300 kilometers.

Jumbo-Visma for Milano-Sanremo: Wout van Aert, Christophe Laporte, Attila Valter, Nathan van Hooydonck, Jos van Emden, Edoardo Affini and Jan Tratnik.