'Motivated' Van Aert heads to the Vuelta with big plans: 'Take the red jersey on the opening weekend'

Wout van Aert lacked the strength to become Belgian gravel champion and had to let his buddy Daan Soete take the Belgian tricolor. But don’t worry, because his legs are in top shape. The Belgian rider from Visma | Lease a Bike is eager to put those legs to work during the upcoming Vuelta a España, where there are plenty of opportunities for a strong showing—starting with the opening weekend.

The Vuelta a España will get underway on August 22, this coming Saturday. The race starts in Monaco this time, and the final Grand Tour of the year begins with a short time trial. This will be followed by a mountain stage with 3,000 meters of elevation gain—normally a perfect start for Van Aert. “Winning the red leader’s jersey during the opening weekend is on my mind,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws.

Team manager Maarten Wynant sees opportunities for his rider in the opening time trial. “It’s a short time trial that suits Wout because it’s winding. That opening time trial isn’t the ultimate goal of his Vuelta, but Wout has trained enough for it to give it a shot. Although Pogacar will also have his sights set on the time trial. With Christophe Laporte, we have another rider who excels in this kind of short time trial.”

Van Aert also knows he can make his mark in Monaco, but he’s keeping his options open. “Those turns certainly aren’t a disadvantage for me, and in such a short effort, it often comes down to pure power.” The days when I focused heavily on time trials are behind me, but I’ve been working on it as much as possible over the past few weeks. I want to finish as close as possible and then maybe make a run for the red jersey in the second stage.'

Visma | Lease a Bike is heading to Spain with a strong, though somewhat untested, lineup. Alongside Van Aert and Laporte, Ben Tulett and Jørgen Nordhagen will be at the start as team leaders, but Matthew Brennan will also be in the mix for the sprints. “Each of our riders has their own ambitions in the Vuelta. It’s up to us to find a good balance among those individual plans. It’ll be a matter of give and take,” explains Wynants.

Especially with Brennan in the mix. “Matthew can handle tough finishes, like that first stage in Burgos, but this is his first Grand Tour. He’ll have a lot to deal with… Wout could be the ideal lightning rod. Three of the so-called flat stages still have a tough climb in the final stretch. How certain is a sprint, then, with Pogacar in the peloton? Maybe only thirteen riders will make it to the finish—hopefully including Wout.”

With Van Aert and Brennan, Visma | Lease a Bike has two favorites for the points jersey, but the winner of the green jersey in the Tour de France, Mads Pedersen, is also on the team. Wynants thinks that’s only for the better. “After seeing Pedersen’s performance in the Tour, I think it must be fun to be Mads Pedersen. I see him more as an ally than as an opponent, because he’ll help shape the race.”

Van Aert won three stages on his Vuelta debut, wearing the red jersey for a while as well as the points jersey and the mountains jersey. However, he then crashed out of the race. “That Vuelta has certainly left a lasting impression,” says his team director. “It was already the third week, and he was still wearing both the polka-dot and points jerseys. Wout likes to check things off his list and rack up achievements—like the mountains jersey. You can be sure he’s fired up to pull off another special feat.”

A "special one." What does that mean for the Belgian star? "Winning several stages and taking the overall title in a secondary classification, for example—though the points jersey won’t be easy to win when you have three fast riders at the start. They’ll probably end up stealing points from each other."

In any case, Wynants knows he can count on a rock-solid Van Aert, who is back to his best after his crash in training. “When he can complete his training sessions without any setbacks, Wout is always at the top of his game. Missing that Tour certainly hasn’t dampened his motivation. Wout is hungry for success.”