Van Aert hopes for a good Vuelta balance with Brennan, but what does Pogačar's presence mean for him?

Wout van Aert will begin his second Vuelta a España this coming Saturday. It’s a race where he’s enjoyed great success but has also faced setbacks. This year, he returns as one of the leaders of Visma | Lease a Bike. How will he stack up against fellow sprinter Matthew Brennan, and what does Tadej Pogačar’s presence mean for the Belgian?

He spoke about this, among other things, with Het Laatste Nieuws during the press conference. “The goal is to be as successful as possible in this Vuelta. That starts, of course, with Saturday’s time trial. I’ve been working on it a bit more over the past few weeks. For the last two or three weeks, I haven’t had any more trouble with my elbow injury on the time-trial bike. It’s been a long summer—a bit different than usual, without the Tour. It’s nice to be back at the Vuelta.”

The time trial will be crucial for Van Aert. That’s because the first few days of the Vuelta a España offer a chance to claim the red jersey. “We’ll be heading into the mountains pretty quickly, so I won’t have much time to claim the red jersey. But with the time trial and the second stage, I’ll have some good opportunities. It would be a dream to wear the jersey again.” Van Aert wore the red jersey for two stages in 2024.

If he wants to pull off that feat again, he’ll have to perform well in the opening time trial in Monaco. He took a hard fall on his time trial bike just a few months ago. “The time trial should suit me. I did a recce yesterday morning and still tried to ride through the traffic. It might be a little too technical. In the final section, you have to push past your limits—which you can do on a time-trial bike. We’ll see how it goes, but it’s a fantastic setting here in Monaco either way.”

Visma | Lease a Bike will line up at the start of the Vuelta without Jonas Vingegaard, and even aside from the Dane, there aren’t really any clear-cut team leaders for the general classification. Jørgen Nordhagen, Ben Tulett, and Sepp Kuss could potentially fill that role, but they might also go for stage wins. That situation gives a maverick like Van Aert even more freedom over the next three weeks.

"It might sound strange, but in last year's Giro, we weren't really focused on the general classification either," he laughs. “Back then, we were more focused on stage wins for me and Olav (Kooij, ed.). I thought that was a fun way to race. We were also successful the last time in the Vuelta, when we went for stage wins. It gives me confidence knowing that the entire team has my back when I need it.”

Van Aert could go for the sprints, but 21-year-old Matthew Brennan is also in the mix. On paper, Brennan seems just a bit faster, but his Belgian teammate might have more stamina. “It’s certainly possible that Brennan will get his chance in the easier stages and I’ll get mine in the tougher ones. The race will decide how things play out, but I’m convinced we’ll both get our chances. As long as someone from Visma | Lease a Bike wins, that’s fine.”

Then there’s the Tadej Pogačar factor. After the Tour de France, the Slovenian decided to compete in the Vuelta as well. This will be his second appearance, after making his debut in 2019, winning three stages, and finishing third overall. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates-XRG is the top favorite for the red jersey, but his presence also has implications for Van Aert.

The “glutton” has the potential to win countless stages, which means that Van Aert—who has already won three stages at the Vuelta—will face a tougher challenge in certain stages. “Pogačar’s presence changes a lot for the races,” he says. “He could become a rival in the ‘one-day classics’ that suit me well, too.” The last time the two faced off, Van Aert won Paris-Roubaix.