The full roll name of star names on the Vuelta a España stays shrouded unsure every week from the beginning however one certainty is that Wout van Aert can be on the beginning ramp in Lisbon subsequent Saturday.
The Vuelta has been on Van Aert’s schedule because the very begin of the season, and his intentions by no means modified regardless of the heavy crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen that ended his Classics marketing campaign prematurely and dominated him out of the Giro d’Italia.
After lacking the corsa rosa, Van Aert was drafted into Visma-Lease a Bike’s Tour de France squad, the place he performed a supporting position for Jonas Vingegaard however endured frustration in his personal bid for a stage win.
Van Aert went on to take the bronze medal within the time trial on the Paris 2024 Olympics, the place he went to play a key half in his compatriot Remco Evenepoel’s victory within the highway race.
The Belgian’s busy summer season is about to proceed on the Vuelta, which will get underway on Saturday August 17 and the place he’ll search his first victory since he claimed Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne in February.
“The races in fact are coming in a short time for Wout this summer season, however that was mentioned and deliberate,” Visma directeur sportif Grischa Niermann advised Sporza. “It was Wout’s specific want to experience the Vuelta after the Tour.
“Wout may be very motivated to show himself once more this 12 months, as a result of he’s a rider who desires to win races. As a group we are going to do the whole lot we will to assist him win a stage within the Vuelta. He deserves it.”
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When Van Aert’s plans to experience the Giro and Vuelta have been first floated final winter, there was hypothesis that the Belgian may even think about a tilt on the normal classification in one of many two Grand Tours.
Niermann confirmed that Van Aert’s sole purpose in Spain can be to the chase stage victories, whereas defending champion Sepp Kuss will lead their tilt on the general standings.
Despite Kuss’ ambitions, Van Aert seems set to get pleasure from a freer position on the Vuelta in comparison with the Tour.
“Sepp is the reigning champion, however not the highest favorite to win this Vuelta, which suggests Wout will not need to sacrifice himself in each mountain stage,” Niermann mentioned.
“In the Tour there have been solely 2.5 favourites and we had considered one of them with Jonas Vingegaard. In the Vuelta there are six or seven groups that may take the ultimate victory. In Spain we is not going to have to manage each mountain stage from kilometre zero, which suggests Wout may have a special position to the Tour.”
It signifies that Van Aert can be at liberty to chase stage wins in bunch sprints and transition levels, in addition to within the opening time trial in Lisbon.
“We see a whole lot of alternatives for Wout to attain, ideally much more than 5,” mentioned Niermann, who downplayed the concept Van Aert would go away the Vuelta early as he builds type forward of the World Championships in Zürich.
“We’re not contemplating that as a result of that final time trial in Madrid can also be tailored for him,” Niermann mentioned.
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