Belgium anything but modest ahead of the Tour: "If he were the sole team leader, he could win the first 10 stages"

"In terms of Belgian stars, this Tour is phenomenal," says Belgian journalist Maarten Vangramberen enthusiastically on Sporza. "It’s really going to be the Tour of the Belgians. We’re covered for every type of terrain. We’ve got sprinters like Merlier, Philipsen and Jordi Meeus. We’ve got punchers like Van Aert, Dylan Teuns and Nys. With Evenepoel, we have someone who excels both in the mountains and in time trials. Plus, Lennert Van Eetvelt and Steff Cras are also strong climbers."

Former pro rider Sep Vanmarcke fully agrees with him. "Especially in that first week. In theory, a Belgian could win every single day for the first ten days. It will get a bit tougher after that, but wins are still possible." The opening week features flat sprint stages, punchy finishes, and a flat time trial in Caen.

Anyone who knows Van Aert knows he always shows his best in the Tour. The big question, however, is whether Visma | Lease a Bike will let him ride for his own results. "Wout is someone who will always help his team, but you have to give him his own chances too," says Vanmarcke. "He has too much talent to just ride in support. It’s important for him to sprint a few times to keep that feeling of mixing it up. If he were the sole team leader, he could win the first ten stages, but at the same time, uphill finishes can be risky for Vingegaard in terms of position and time loss."

"So will Visma let Van Aert take his shot, or will they tell him to stay with Vingegaard until the GC is settled? I don't know," Vanmarcke admits. Vangramberen also believes that the yellow jersey remains the main focus for Visma | Lease a Bike. "If Van Aert truly got to do his own thing without worrying about anyone or anything else, he could win a few stages and certainly take the green jersey. But he will likely be pushed into a role as super domestique. He’s a rider who really counts for two sometimes. You can use him throughout the entire Tour."

Vangramberen adds that Van Aert’s explosiveness could really come in handy. "Sometimes I think: won’t he try to attack with Vingegaard on his wheel? They could get away together, giving Wout a chance to win the stage. Of course, they also have Affini, Benoot and Campenaerts on the team. Those guys can close gaps too. So Wout will get some freedom now and then, but not every day."

This year marks Thibau Nys’ debut in the Tour. That means there isn’t too much pressure on the Lidl-Trek rider, but there are still plenty of stages that suit him well. Still, Vanmarcke thinks his Tour will be a success if he simply makes it to Paris. "And if he can stay with the top guys on some of his finishes. But we shouldn’t expect him to win a stage against riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar."

Vangramberen also points out how hard it is to win a stage in your first Tour. "Just look at Arnaud De Lie last year, or Jasper Philipsen in his first two Tours." Vanmarcke has seen Nys pull off surprises on the road before, though. "Every time you think, ‘Wow, he won there too.’ So it's definitely possible, but I don’t want to put pressure on him. His first Grand Tour is mainly about building for the future."