Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

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First competent sprint of the year for him, while today won't have him any less worried about future classic campaigns he can at least take heart from that going into the Giro. Pedersen will still be favoured over him pretty much everywhere though.
I think that today was on par with Ronde. The race was way harder than the edition he won, and not even peak 2022 Van Aert would've been able to cope with Pogacar and Remco going at it from such a distance. He was never distanced and never looked in trouble in that larger group, then won the sprint.

For him to have had any chance today it would've had to have been a much softer race – unlike in Flanders/Roubaix, the result here wasn't really within his control.
 
I think that today was on par with Ronde. The race was way harder than the edition he won, and not even peak 2022 Van Aert would've been able to cope with Pogacar and Remco going at it from such a distance. He was never distanced and never looked in trouble in that larger group, then won the sprint.

For him to have had any chance today it would've had to have been a much softer race – unlike in Flanders/Roubaix, the result here wasn't really within his control.
If he had managed to latch on to Remco's wheel the 2nd time Remo attacked I think Remco and Skjelmose would have cooperated with Wout at least until they were certain they would catch Pog. And he would have probably managed the pace on the climbs, really no hard accelerations.

But sure, many things must have gone his way for him to win, he is not in a position to win by his own strenght in the big races anymore.
 
Van Aert must be a bit furious with himself that he did latch on to Remco's wheel when he attacked. If he had managed to do that, then... hell he might have won! :)
No matter the size of the group today, Van Aert wasn't ever keeping himself right at the front to be able to respond to attacks. At least from the 50 km mark he seemed content (or had only enough in tank) to stay toward the back of the group and not exert any extra effort than necessary. I'm sure he's still feeling the effects of PR as well.
 
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But sure, many things must have gone his way for him to win, he is not in a position to win by his own strenght in the big races anymore.
I agree, but I don't think he'd have ever been able to win such a race. Maybe he would've been able to react to Evenepoel, but this was a very 'hilly' Amstel gold, and the riders who won are all genuine hilly riders/climbers, rather than hard men.
 
I agree, but I don't think he'd have ever been able to win such a race. Maybe he would've been able to react to Evenepoel, but this was a very 'hilly' Amstel gold, and the riders who won are all genuine hilly riders/climbers, rather than hard men.
Think there's a non 0 chance if he joins the Evenepoel move and doesn't burn himself pulling too hard again. It's not like he got hard dropped on the hills.
 
Yes, and TDF might be the end of the season. They don't know yet.
Giro shouldn't be too hard if he just picks stages to go for, takes it easy in the grupetto and doesn't too much domestique work. Visma won't have to carry the race, Yates is unlikely to take the jersey at any point, so maybe he just has to do some positioning for Yates on stages Van Aert isn't going for it.
 
I think that today was on par with Ronde. The race was way harder than the edition he won, and not even peak 2022 Van Aert would've been able to cope with Pogacar and Remco going at it from such a distance. He was never distanced and never looked in trouble in that larger group, then won the sprint.

For him to have had any chance today it would've had to have been a much softer race – unlike in Flanders/Roubaix, the result here wasn't really within his control.
Peak van Aert was TdF 2022, stage 4. That version does not get dropped
 
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I think that today was on par with Ronde. The race was way harder than the edition he won, and not even peak 2022 Van Aert would've been able to cope with Pogacar and Remco going at it from such a distance. He was never distanced and never looked in trouble in that larger group, then won the sprint.

For him to have had any chance today it would've had to have been a much softer race – unlike in Flanders/Roubaix, the result here wasn't really within his control.
This is just hater bs.