Wout van Aert impresses: “It's a cliché, but you can't replicate that in training”

Van Aert—just like Tim Rex—also did a great job for team leader Matteo Jorgenson, who ultimately finished third in the stage. “It was another tough day, but I felt a lot better than yesterday,” the Belgian told Sporza.

“We took our chance. I think Matteo is just a little short. We wanted to make a bid for the overall victory. Our goal was to isolate Del Toro, and that worked out pretty well. But the final climb was so difficult that it came down to a man-to-man battle. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much we could do tactically,” he analyzed.

Just before the final climb, Van Aert launched another attack. “I tried to survive the first steep section so I could still do something on the flatter part,” he explained. “Maybe I should have attacked a little earlier to gain a bit more of a lead. But that also takes energy. Once those guys passed me, it was just pedaling as hard as possible to make it to the top.”

Looking ahead to Milan-Sanremo and what comes next, the rider made it clear that he’s in good shape. “It’s hard to simulate this in training. Here, the pace is set by someone else, and you have to respond to breakaways.”

'It’s a cliché, but you can’t replicate that in training. There have been a few stages where I could do my thing. I’ve come close to victory. I’m satisfied with how I feel, but patience is a virtue,’ he concluded with a wink.