Wout van Aert ‘definitely has a chance’ against Pogačar and Evenepoel at major autumn target

After abandoning the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, there were questions over how strong Wout van Aert would be when he returned at the Tour of Denmark. Looking back, it is fair to say the Belgian is in excellent shape. Having collected three stage victories and the overall title, the Visma | Lease a Bike star is now turning his attention to the truly important appointments of the autumn. Van Aert, in particular, is approaching the World Championships with plenty of confidence.

The story is well known by now. The experienced Belgian crashed in the build-up to the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes but still started the race and even won a stage. One day after that victory, however, he was forced to abandon. The wound on his elbow had become infected, ultimately ruling him out of the Tour de France. Almost two months later, he made a spectacular return to racing in Denmark.

“It may sound strange, but I would rather not have been here and instead have ridden the Tour de France,” Van Aert told HLN, balancing his happiness with a realistic assessment of the situation. “That was not an enjoyable period, but you always have to be ready to adjust your plan. I am really looking forward to everything that is still to come this autumn.”

The Vuelta a España, which starts on August 22, will be an important part of that programme. The opening stage is a nine-kilometre prologue, and the Belgian has already marked it as a major opportunity. “I want to finish as close to the front as possible straight away. It is a short time trial, so the position is slightly less crucial. That works in my favour, because the infected elbow meant I was barely able to ride my time-trial bike.”

Van Aert still feels pain when resting his weight on the aero extensions. “But we are going to work extremely hard on that over the coming weeks.” After that, the Belgian hopes to make his mark throughout the Vuelta. “The entire first week looks enjoyable, by the way. We will be targeting stage victories. There are opportunities.”

Before the Vuelta, Van Aert will also make his debut at the Belgian Gravel Championships. “Gravel is always fun to ride, but it is also a demanding training session. It fits perfectly into my preparations for the Vuelta.” The event will provide another building block for the rest of his autumn campaign, with potentially even more important days waiting after the Spanish Grand Tour.

That means the World Championships in Canada, where Van Aert will contest only the road race because of his participation in the Vuelta. He genuinely believes he can challenge for the title. “Tadej and Remco are two different types of rider to me. It is a difficult course that will always be right on the limit for me. But I have finished second in Montréal before.”

“If I am at my absolute best, I definitely have a chance there. I certainly do not consider myself an outsider with no hope, and that is why I want to give it everything,” Van Aert concluded defiantly.