I dont recognize Van Aert anymore since last season. He lost totally "the grinta". Last season only 3 wins, I think. Hardly an attempt to win a stage in the Tour.Not sure who is more stupid, WVA himself or his Belgian fanboys crying that he doesn't care for investing too much into a winter training race.
I agree with @Blanco as well. There is no good reason to skip MSR. Either go to altitude after omloop for a good 18 days, or skip these February races and do the 2021-23 spring schedule. The shape was good enough in those years
This season, not even trying to win a stage in Algarve. What for ? To be able to win Flanders or Roubaix ? But if he couldn't do that in the past, while his level has slightly dropped. So he makes the same mistake as last season. If he doesn't win a monument this season (so only Flanders or Roubaix) or wins the worlds and/or olympic gold, I think his career (at the highest lever) will be over. All because he worked way to hard (during the Tour) for his team as a domestique for years. Without receiving much support from his team in the classics. That killed him physically and mentally. But he doesn't even realize that.