After 5 summers as a workhorse in the Tour, Wout van Aert will start as leader in the upcoming Giro, according to Italian media. “Van Aert has the capabilities to win a Grand Tour,” says cycling analyst José De Cauwer.
Wout van Aert is aiming for a ranking in a Grand Tour for the first time in his career.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, it is 100 percent certain that this will happen in the Giro next year.
José De Cauwer does not fall from his chair. “Whatever ambitions Van Aert goes to the Giro with, for me it is more than time that he rides more for himself,” our analyst emphasizes.
“The fact that Van Aert played the role of super servant in the Tour in recent years was nice and nice for Jumbo-Visma and Jonas Vingegaard.”
Van Aert himself always received a lot of applause for his bear work.
“But if Van Aert were your son and you saw him working so hard for someone else in the Tour, you would think to yourself: “If he can calm down a bit, he might be able to become world champion in Glasgow.”
Even more pressure
What can we expect from Van Aert in his baptism of fire as leader in a Grand Tour?
“If he actually goes for a classification, the question is how much weight he has to lose and what sacrifices he is and is not willing to make.”
“If he wins the Giro, that would be fantastic. That would be a turning point in his career as a cyclist. But if Van Aert excels in a few stages, that would also be very nice.”
Does De Cauwer believe that Van Aert can win the Giro on his Tom Dumoulins? “He has the capabilities for it.”
“But focusing on the rankings every day for 3 weeks, I wonder if Van Aert wants that.”
“With classification ambitions you put a lot of pressure on yourself. I assume that Van Aert also still wants to win the Tour of Flanders and/or Paris-Roubaix, which also creates pressure.”
If Van Aert wins the Giro, that would be fantastic. But unpacking in a few stages is also very nice.
Joseph De Cauwer
Riding the Giro normally does not mean a Tour for Van Aert. “That’s what he’s all about,” says De Cauwer.
“Then Van Aert can work towards the Olympic Games with an alternative program – without the Tour – and go for gold.”
Etappeschema Giro 2024 ret 1 04/05 Venaria Reale-Turijn 136 km ret 2 05/05 San Francesco Al Campo-Santuario di Oropa 150 km aankomst bergop ret 3 06/05 Novara-Fossano 165 km ret 4 07/05 Acqui Terme-Andora 187 km return 5 08/05 Genoa-Lucca 176 km return 6 09/05 Viareggio-Rapolano Terme 177 km gravelestages return 7 10/05 Foligno-Perugia 37.2 km individual return 8 11/05 Spoleto-Prati di Tivo 153 km aankomst bergop ret 9 12/05 Avezzano-Napoli 206 km rustdag 13/05 ret 10 14/05 Pompeï-Cusano Mutri 141 km aankomst bergop ret 11 15/05 Foiano di Val Fortore-Francavilla al Mare 203 km ret 12 16/05 Martinsicuro -Fano 183 km return 13 17/05 Riccione-Cento 179 km return 14 18/05 Castiglione delle Stiviere-Desenzano del Garda 31 km individual return 15 19/05 Manerba del Garda-Livigno 220 km aankomst bergop rustdag 20/05 return 16 21/05 Livigno-Santa Cristina Valgardena 202 km to Bergop rit 17 22/05 Selva di Gardena-Passo Brocon 154 km to Ankomst Bergop rit 18 23/05 Fiera di Primiero-Padova 166 km rit 19 24/05 Mortegliano-Sappada 154 km rit 20 25/05 Alpago-Bassano del Grappa 175 km return 21 26/05 Rome-Rome 126 km
