📸 Van Aert mocks teammates (and himself), gives update on stomach flu and won’t sprint: "I’m realistic enough"

On social media, Van Aert shared an Instagram post a few days before the start of the French grand tour, featuring some unusual but very funny content of his teammates. In the first photo, everything still looks pretty normal, showing a group photo during a training ride, with team leader Grischa Niermann riding at the front next to Van Aert. However, the rest of the photos and videos he shared were of a different nature…

First, we see team leader Jonas Vingegaard sitting on the ground, pulling off a leg warmer. Then comes a video of Simon Yates, where Van Aert mainly shows his pink shoes and bike computer, gifts the Brit received after his Giro victory. “Have you won a cycling race recently?” Van Aert teases with a wink. Next is Sepp Kuss, smiling with a platter full of snacks.

Fourth is Matteo Jorgenson: the American is doing his gym exercises, causing laughter in the room. Tiesj Benoot also features in the series, with an in-race photo where Van Aert’s fellow Belgian is wearing his sunglasses differently than usual, making his eyes visible. Affini gets a photo of himself with a beautiful mountainous French landscape behind him. What makes this photo ironic? Affini is peeing…

Victor Campenaerts doesn’t get a beautiful landscape as a backdrop. The Flemish rider is covered in white sunscreen, something he himself laughs about. Last but not least, Van Aert himself, raising his hands and joking while looking into the camera.

Time for the serious part: the team presentation. Van Aert and Visma | Lease a Bike were called onto the podium as the second-to-last team. There, Van Aert was asked about his plans for the upcoming three weeks. “I want to win my tenth stage in the Tour de France,” he said, to which the crowd responded with big cheers. “And of course, with this team, also the yellow jersey.”

Speaking to Sporza’s cameras, the Flemish cycling star elaborated on his Tour plans. For example, will we see Van Aert contesting the opening stage, where a bunch sprint is expected? “I actually don’t think so. I’m realistic enough to know that beating the top sprinters is very difficult for me, and it’s not what I prefer to do anyway, so this Tour I’ll mainly focus on the many other opportunities that will come.”

And what about the green jersey? “That’s not the goal we’ve set this year. Winning it once was really great, but I’ve enjoyed my stage wins much more. That’s what I want to focus on again.”

A day before the Belgian Championships, Van Aert withdrew from the national title race, a week before the start of the Tour. Due to stomach flu, the contender for the tricolour jersey could not take part. “Am I completely recovered? Yes, almost. I’ve pretty much recovered from the stomach flu, but of course, it’s a shame it happened to me.”

Especially since the first week suits Van Aert perfectly. “I will definitely have the freedom from the team to go for stage wins. They’re all stages I’m really looking forward to.”