Thomas feels for van Aert, but Visma | Lease a Bike says there's no need for that

Van Aert is the number one topic of conversation. The Belgian was ill going into the Giro but still rose above himself on the first day. In his own words, the results in the time trial and on the third day were logical, but various analysts pondered the question of why van Aert is ill so often. Where is his base? Why did he even have to drop back when there were still a hundred riders in the peloton?

Geraint Thomas saw it happen, too and even expressed sympathy for Van Aert in his podcast Watts Occuring. "It's unfortunate to see Wout drop out like that; he's not 100%. It's sad to see because it's terrible when you're in that position as a big rider, and everyone is watching you when you're suffering like that. You're climbing, struggling, and then you have a TV camera in your face. At a moment like that, you'd rather be somewhere else. Hopefully, Wout will get better, he's a fighter."

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Reef is waiting patiently. "Wout performed above his ability in the first stage, which may have cost him on days 2 and 3. But we've also said that we have to be realistic and take it day by day. Wout can grow in the Giro and was already feeling better on the rest day. We'll have to see how that develops. At the moment, he is feeling better and better, and days are coming up when he can go for it, but he can also be essential for the team."

In that dual role of attacker and lead-out for Kooij, Van Aert can do his thing, although, on the fourth day, it didn't work out at all. "We are focused on Olav, but the pressure on Wout never disappears because people expect a lot from him. It's an ideal scenario for GC contender Simon Yates. "Simon can find his way, but we keep him out of trouble."