Ex-rider sums up 4 key points about van Aert's performance this spring: "Time for more facts, folks"

Former American rider Tom Danielson has made a habit of sharing his analysis on X after every major race, and he did so again after the Brabantse Pijl. "What's wrong with Wout!?" "I was caught off guard today by how much negative chatter followed Wout Van Aert's excellent performance in Brabantse Pijl. Are many seeing what I'm seeing? Apparently not. So I took a few minutes this afternoon to share my thoughts on his comeback performances—and how they might be pointing to bigger-picture goals that most people are missing." Danielson shares his thoughts in four conclusions.

"Let’s kick this off with some facts that hit differently," Danielson says. "Ironically, '2021 Champs-Élysées-winning Wout' lost Brabantse Pijl in a sprint to 128-pound Tom Pidcock. Yes, that’s right—the same guy who, in the same year, won the field sprint on the Champs-Élysées got beaten by a rookie pro climber in a sprint.

This year? Wout lost the sprint to Olympic champion Remco… after both of them dropped Pidcock on a climb earlier. That sounds like an improvement over 2021 to me,” said the American. ”Was he exceptional in the Tour de France in 2021? Absolutely. I would expect something similar in 2025."

"Let’s go back to Flanders in that golden year of 2021, when Wout dominated everything at the Tour. That year, he finished 6th at Flanders, with MVDP finishing 2nd. Wout came in 47 seconds behind the winner and was second in the sprint of his group."

"This year? He finished 4th—3rd in the sprint. While he was one minute behind the winner (an exceptional Tadej), he crossed the line on the same time as MVDP. That’s right—the same time as the 2025 Milan–San Remo winner, 2025 E3 winner, and 2025 Paris–Roubaix winner. The same rider who was building form while Wout was rehabbing his knee."

"Perspective, people. He’s performing at a high level now. And if you consider the possibility of a Grand Tour focus, his current level starts to look even more impressive."

"Time for more facts, folks," the American continues. "The reason Wout is 'losing all these sprints' is because he’s in all these sprints. Just like any winner, he misses more often than he hits. But to quote Michael Jordan: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take," Danielson quotes.

"In Wout’s case, winning starts with making the winning group—and then trying to win from there. The reason it seems like he’s “missing” a lot is because he’s capable of finishing with the lead group on pretty much any course. He’s constantly up against different competitors in different conditions."

"It’s not embarrassing that he’s making the finals. And it’s not embarrassing that he’s trying hard and coming up short. This is how sport works. This is how life works. As both an athlete and a coach, I see his comeback as nothing short of beautiful. And one last thing: take note of how he’s racing the Flemish classics into the Ardennes classics. That’s not a guy focused on performance in just one block of races. He’s building toward something greater."

Danielson ends with conclusion four. "Let’s use this comment to get into why I think you’re not seeing the sprint finishes you expect from Wout. I believe that, in his quest to reach the next level, he’s focusing on using his time trial strength to win solo. Over the last three weeks, he’s raced in four completely different events. In three of those—Dwars door Vlaanderen, Flanders, and Brabantse Pijl—he’s been aggressive."

"He’s been the one instigating the selections with attacks on the climbs. He contributed to the formation of the winning move. And then, he’s sprinted at the end," said Danielson. "To me, that shows a rider who wants to win on his terms. And when it doesn’t work, he learns and comes back stronger. If he were only trying to maximize results based on his current form, we’d see him ride defensively: covering moves, doing minimal work, and saving everything for the sprint. But he hasn’t done that."

"Even in the race that started all this—Dwars door Vlaanderen—he could have sat on, with two teammates working to ensure a sprint. But he pulled to the end," Danielson analyzed. "This tells me there’s a bigger picture at play. One that possibly includes a Grand Tour focus."