Cycling: Van Aert announces the color with Van der Poel!
While the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are looming, Wout Van Aert, who has modified his program and his preparation to arrive at the top during these two monuments that he absolutely wants to win, knows that he will have to face a once again his lifelong rival Mathieu Van der Poel. The duel promises to be epic and Van Aert does not hide: he is ready.
The cycling season is now entering the period of the Flandrian classics, with the Tour of Flanders-Paris-Roubaix sequence as the highlight. For Wout Van Aert, the moment of truth is approaching. The Belgian champion of Jumbo-Visma Lease A Bike has in fact never won one of these two monuments, which appears to be an anomaly in relation to his talent and his track record elsewhere.
Alaphilippe: Possible victory at the Tour of Flanders? He responds https://t.co/XP7QctVHRc pic.twitter.com/Et9I52NVvF
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“I want to win the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix”
Aware of this reality and of the fact that he probably did too much before and arrived blunted in both races, Van Aert has completely modified his program and his preparation, getting more slowly into shape to finally win a title at the Tour of Flanders or Roubaix. A few days before the first big test with the E3 Grand-Prix, the leader of the Visma-Lease A Bike does not hide, affirming in comments reported by cyclismactu.net : « 2023 may have been the first time my season was a little worse than the year before. So far, I have always done better than expected. It gave me ideas, that I shouldn’t earn them for anyone other than myself. This gives me peace of mind. I have worked very hard because I want to win the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. I think I can win them. I have shown in the past that one day races on cobblestones are one of my specialties. It’s a great goal to add them to my list of achievements. In my opinion, the E3 Grand-Prix is the most difficult Flemish race after the Tour of Flanders, with a very demanding finale which always starts from afar. And because the race is so close to the Ronde, it’s always a good test. I had a few small setbacks last year, so I missed winning at times. Last winter, we decided to leave nothing to chance. I’ve had a great winter and I’m ready to get started ».
“Mathieu Van der Poel? At the E3 GP, everything will become very clear”
Pour Van Aertthe main adversary is clearly identified, it is his eternal rival Mathieu Van der Poel, who already has two Tour of Flanders and a Paris-Roubaix to his name. The Belgian champion is more than ready to do battle with his Dutch rival in a clash that promises to be epic: “ Mathieu is as strong in the last hour of the Tour of Flanders as in the last hour of the E3 Saxo Classic. This is often a difference from others. Others have to recover, Mathieu is ready for the next slope very quickly. And this quality takes on its full meaning on the Tour of Flanders ». Van Aert did not fail to watch Milan San Remo and he noticed that his rival would be ready in Flanders… He thus affirmed in comments reported by globalcylingnetwork.com : « I saw Mathieu at Milan San Remo and he looked very strong. I expect him to be present at the meeting on the Flandriennes. On the E3 GP, everything will become very clear on who is where »..
