Last year, Wout van Aert surprised at his Tour debut with a victory in Albi, now his victory after his demonstrations in recent weeks was less surprising, but no less impressive. “This is rather the victory of confirmation.”
Wout van Aert is at home in many markets: yesterday he took the lead on the final climb to 1.5 kilometers from the end, today he finishes it in a bunch sprint. “I had enough time to recover because it was an easy stage.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever driven such a slow stage on the road. Because of that slow pace, there were also a lot of fresh legs in the final. It was very hectic due to the wind, but also because both the sprinter teams and the GC men wanted to sit in the front. “
“I knew that this finish would suit me. I was able to keep a good position and when I saw that the sprinters saw off, my morale rose. I was well behind the Sunweb train and went with Bol when it came in. The difference was narrow, but luckily just enough. “
My victory in Albi last year was better. It is a pity, but you get used to everything a bit.
“That glass from last night brought us luck”
Van Aert had to ignore the team the previous days, even though he did not go unnoticed. “The trick is to immediately seize the few opportunities that you get. I don’t need that many opportunities this year to finish it.”
“I may have been a little less present for our leaders today, but I will make up for that in the coming days. The team is doing well, we have to maintain that vibe.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been as good as now. It’s been a while and hopefully it will last.”
Just over a year ago Van Aert booked his first victory in the Tour, in Albi. “That was better. It’s a shame, but you get used to everything a bit. Later I may regret not enjoying it less. But then it was a surprise, now it is a confirmation.”
Van Aert is already thinking about the continuation of the Tour, but there will still be a celebration tonight with a glass. “We also did that yesterday after Primoz’s victory and that has brought good luck. We must honor that tradition.”
Grøndahl Jansen: “It will be a national holiday in Belgium”
After Primoz Roglic’s stage victory yesterday, today is another party at Jumbo-Visma. Teammate Amund Grøndahl Jansen was impressed by Van Aert’s song.
“It will be a national holiday in Belgium, I think. Wout is impressively strong, it is a well deserved victory. We did not drive specifically for him today. The assignment was mainly to keep Primoz (Roglic, ed.) In front. Wout then draws up his plan in the last 5 kilometers. “
“Wout has become a really good friend and I wish him every victory. It is very impressive how he came back after his injury in the previous Tour. That is the sign of a great champion.”
“He is also very good in the group. He is a nice guy and it is always nice to be on the road with him. Since the race started again, everyone has been impressed by him.”
Maassen: “Unbelievable, he does it all by himself”
Frans Maassen, sports director at Jumbo-Visma, was somewhat surprised by Van Aert’s impressive victory. “It’s unbelievable, he does it all by himself. It’s a classy act. I thought it couldn’t be done, but he just does it.”
“Wout indicated this morning that he would like to sprint. If our 2 leaders were safe at 3 kilometers from the finish, that was no problem. for us. If he hadn’t been in the lead yesterday, he could have won then. He flies and the morale in the team is so good. “
Van Aert had set his sights on this stage. “He was working on it, because it was a bit of an arrival for him. The problem was that we could not offer him much support today. I heard that at 3 kilometers from the finish he even guided Roglic forward.”
“At the moment everything is running smoothly with us, but we have only been working for 5 days. We have to stay sharp. You can see that they are going to try to hoe us. It was a strong action by Ineos and we will go on for a whole Tour. experience. That is part of it and it is also good to keep us on our toes. “
