Wout van Aert on exceptional win at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: "I didn't expect it to go so well right away"

It is another very important season for Wout van Aert as he seeks to get his first cobbled classic monument. Spring is still far off, but the Jumbo-Visma has started his season off quite impressively with a strong win at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

"Tiesj and I were attacking nicely after the Berendries," van Aert said. Upon having Jumbo-Visma control most of the race up to that point, Tiesj Benoot and van Aert launched a move up the Berendries with 29 kilometers to go, an attack that would later prove crucial as many teams were on their knees after having to chase back the leading group.

"I know it's always quiet before the Bosberg, so I wanted to take an advantage there. At the top, I still had a nice gap, so I decided to go full speed. I gave everything and fortunately, that tactic worked. The wind was a disadvantage, so maybe that's why it stayed closed for a long time. My teammates deserve big compliments because we controlled the race at all times. And of course, I am delighted to finish first." After Benoot was caught over the Muur de Geraardsbergen, a lull in the action happened, which at a certain point right before the cobbles of the Bosberg van Aert seized to make a sneaky move off the front of the group, and was never to be seen again, arriving 22 seconds ahead of the chasing group as they failed to bring back the Belgian.

All this came on Wout van Aert's first race day of the season, just off altitude training in Tenerife. Although his biggest goals lay ahead this spring, this win will bring some motivation and release some pressure for van Aert, who has had similar performances in his brief stint at the Cyclocross calendar this winter.

"I've had a good preparation, but I didn't expect it to go so well right away. It's great that I won this race. I could still do better in terms of race intensity because you need that for classics like the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. I want to take that step in Paris-Nice, where we will be at the start again with a strong team."

He will be back in action at Paris-Nice soon where Primoz Roglic is likely to be the GC leader, however van Aert is never to be discounted from being in contention, aswell as being a main contender for most stages.