Wout van Aert: "Skipping the Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo was a difficult decision. But it was a necessary choice"

Wout van Aert will skip the cyclocross World Championships alongside a few races, and he will also let go Strade Bianche and Milano-Sanremo. This is confirmed by his own words, and it is a conscious choice in order to arrive at the cobbled monuments and Giro d'Italia in the best form possible.

"The first part of my season is about building up to Flanders and Roubaix. I will wear a number on the opening weekend of the classics and then not race for a while. I want to get out of my comfort zone and try something different," van Aert said in a press release. "Maybe it is logical for me to look for a different approach, but above all, I am doing what feels right."

Van Aert starts his season at the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior, and will then move on towards the Volta ao Algarve where he should be a favourite for the overall win. It is an attempt to race a different program, in a year where a lot actually changes in the big picture. He will also return to the Opening Weekend, where he hasn't raced since 2022 - where he won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Neither Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico are in the schedule for the time being, and it will likely remain that way as he should take on a training camp.

"Skipping the Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo was a difficult decision. But it was a necessary choice to be in the best possible shape for the start of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. There's a good chance I'll race the Amstel Gold Race after the cobbles. Hopefully I will do so with one or more victories under my belt."

Van Aert headlines a very strong classics team for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Although the team has lost Nathan van Hooydonck who retired due to heart issues, it signed Matteo Jorgenson who should be just as strong of a replacement in a block that also includes former Paris-Roubaix winner Dylan van Baarle, European Champion Christophe Laporte and Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne winner Tiesj Benoot.

"For 2024, our classics team is strong again, and our confidence is high. I think the team has become even stronger with the arrival of Matteo Jorgenson and Per Strand Hagenes from the Development Team. However, the retirement of Nathan Van Hooydonck is a loss... Christophe Laporte is also invaluable to me," he adds.. "His qualities are unquestionable. With him we are already a team to be reckoned with. I trust him blindly and we work very well together, as the last few years have shown."