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Wout van Aert has insisted that regardless of taking the Belgian Nationwide time trial name previous this week he may not be the number 1 favorite for Sunday’s highway race.
Van Aert claimed the Belgian TT name for a 3rd time in his occupation on Thursday, and was once topped Belgian highway champion in 2021.
Then again, whilst recognising he’s in just right shape, the 28-year-old has described himself and his teammates as outsiders for the coveted highway name, given Jumbo-Visma’s relative loss of riders within the race in comparison to different best squads.
Talking previous this week, Van Aert was once particularly chary about giving journalists any hints about any ways he would possibly use in Sunday’s 230 kilometre race in Izegem, west Flanders, pronouncing – with a smile: “It will be silly of me to do this.”
Van Aert defined to Belgian media that his development in shape “hasn’t simply took place in a single day. After the Excursion de Suisse, I may relaxation up just a little and that’s precisely what I didn’t get after the lengthy spell at altitude earlier than I went to Suisse. I wasn’t recent sufficient.”
Then again, he argued that “[Jasper] Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and [Tim] Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) are extra favourites than me as a result of they have got extra teammates.”
“There’s simplest 4 people for Jumbo-Visma. 4 just right riders, however I imagine us as outsiders.”
Mathieu Heijboer, head of Jumbo-Visma efficiency, nevertheless was once adamant that Van Aert “has taken a large step ahead. In Suisse, he was once incessantly on the restrict of his energy as a result of he hadn’t recovered from his altitude coaching at that time.”
By means of Thursday’s TT, even though, that had clearly modified, and in Sunday’s highway race, Van Aert will unquestionably do his utmost to stick forward of the sport once more.
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