Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[Armchair Cyclist]

I am aware of (but have never watched) cycle-ball: was this the launch event for cycle-basketball? What other cycling-mashup sports can we look forward to?

 

[Lequack]

Some more

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n58g2QOcftQ

"I’ll take those conversations to my grave", writes NBA legend Reggie Miller, after 'unfiltered conversation' with Van Aert

Wout van Aert is clearly enjoying himself on a sponsor trip in the United States. The 31-year-old Belgian travelled with a Visma | Lease a Bike delegation to California to visit several of the team’s...

www.idlprocycling.com

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Mathieu came to LA a month or so ago. Wout, always coming in second.

 

[jono]

Some more

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n58g2QOcftQ

"I’ll take those conversations to my grave", writes NBA legend Reggie Miller, after 'unfiltered conversation' with Van Aert

Wout van Aert is clearly enjoying himself on a sponsor trip in the United States. The 31-year-old Belgian travelled with a Visma | Lease a Bike delegation to California to visit several of the team’s...

www.idlprocycling.com

Not quite as embarrassing as that UAE shootaround clip from a few years ago, so that's a win of sorts.

 

[Lequack]

This man will do anything, but race cyclocross.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1990498283740127414

View: https://x.com/lucasaganronald/status/1990498283740127414?s=20

 

[Wyndbrook]

This man will do anything, but race cyclocross.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1990498283740127414

View: https://x.com/lucasaganronald/status/1990498283740127414?s=20

All dads, and sometimes grandads, do that.

 

[Hugh Januss]

All dads, and sometimes grandads, do that.

I thought it was mostly drunk uncles that did this?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Strade -> San Remo
Tour -> Vuelta -> Worlds

Strade probably more because he likes the race/training, San Remo I think he can follow on the Cipressa, but his form would definitely have to be better than it was at the same time last year. UAE might look supersonic in training but unless they get all their guys to the bottom and at the front then they will have the same issue. No idea about the other classics but I'd assume he does the monuments at least.

 

[Berniece]

Strade -> San Remo
Tour -> Vuelta -> Worlds

Strade probably more because he likes the race/training, San Remo I think he can follow on the Cipressa, but his form would definitely have to be better than it was at the same time last year. UAE might look supersonic in training but unless they get all their guys to the bottom and at the front then they will have the same issue. No idea about the other classics but I'd assume he does the monuments at least.

You think he'll ride two GT's? If he does a classic heavy season from Strade -> Roubaix, and then TDF at 100%, I doubt he'll do Vuelta on top of it.

 

[Tim Cahill]

You think he'll ride two GT's? If he does a classic heavy season from Strade -> Roubaix, and then TDF at 100%, I doubt he'll do Vuelta on top of it.

I was surprised too, but I think he might end up doing the traditional Worlds prep and abandon in the second week, I don't see Visma doing a serious GT campaign with Vingegaard and Yates doing other races, so he should be free to do so

https://twitter.com/x/status/2003198857841389893

.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

We now know 5 races that visma wont win in 2026

 

[Tim Cahill]

We now know 5 races that visma wont win in 2026

His winning strategy involves Pogacar falling off because he's trying to show off on a descent in front of Tom Pidcock again.

 

[Rockestar_33]

You think he'll ride two GT's? If he does a classic heavy season from Strade -> Roubaix, and then TDF at 100%, I doubt he'll do Vuelta on top of it.

He's a good chance to wear red early with the first ITT, no Ganna and no Remco and then a couple of good stages for him to retain it.

 

[Red Rick]

Good. Skipping Sanremo was criminal.

Also, Van Aert has been speaking to Rogla about the importance of Iberian Harvesting Seasono

 

[AlfaLum]

Its the last time he can do San Remo as a captain probably, so smart choice. 😉

 

[ingsve]

You think he'll ride two GT's? If he does a classic heavy season from Strade -> Roubaix, and then TDF at 100%, I doubt he'll do Vuelta on top of it.

Why not? It's not the same as doing it as a GC rider. He can go to the Vuelta and hunt for stages without being anywhere near 100% every stage. He'll just take it easy and target certain stages.

 

[Berniece]

Why not? It's not the same as doing it as a GC rider. He can go to the Vuelta and hunt for stages without being anywhere near 100% every stage. He'll just take it easy and target certain stages.

Depends a bit who else they are sending there too. If they want to go for GC with Yates for example... It's not like WVA came out of the Giro fresh as a daisy

 

[ingsve]

Depends a bit who else they are sending there too. If they want to go for GC with Yates for example... It's not like WVA came out of the Giro fresh as a daisy

Ya, but that was the other way around. There he helped at the Giro before his main task at the Tour. If he does classics and Tour first then of course he won't be a superdomestique in the vuelta mountains for anyone. He would merely be a stage hunter in the Vuelta.

 

[Berniece]

Ya, but that was the other way around. There he helped at the Giro before his main task at the Tour. If he does classics and Tour first then of course he won't be a superdomestique in the vuelta mountains for anyone. He would merely be a stage hunter in the Vuelta.

That's true, and would love to see him do both. But I also want him at his best during WC RR. Belgium has a higher chance of winning when Evenepoel and Van Aert start. It's also one of his last chances to win the WC RR.

 

[Red Rick]

Donkey duty when it's needed/when it fits the training schedule. Take it easy on all the other days.

The problem is he'll try to win from the breakaway every non sprint stage.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Today proved to me why WVA needs to do more cyclocross. That knee has caused him to lose sprint/accel speed.
He needs his body to get used to stop & go sprinting again. Not that Del grosso is a slouch far from it. I just felt WVA had to do more work to keep the elastic. Whereas Del Grosso had an easier time at holding it. With WVA endurance needing to be brought to the front, instead of simple accel speed.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Today proved to me why WVA needs to do more cyclocross. That knee has caused him to lose sprint/accel speed.
He needs his body to get used to stop & go sprinting again. Not that Del grosso is a slouch far from it. I just felt WVA had to do more work to keep the elastic. Whereas Del Grosso had an easier time at holding it. With WVA endurance needing to be brought to the front, instead of simple accel speed.

Del Grosso sprinting looked exactly the same as MvdP's used to, it's crazy