Wout van Aert’s wife Sarah saw him fall ill in Italy: “Given the circumstances, he made the best of it”

The Van Aert family spent a week in Italy before the Giro, and they were able to enjoy more time with dad Wout than expected. “Wout wasn’t able to train as much, so there was more family time, which was of course really fun for the kids. But for Wout, it was crap, if I may use a strong word. That forced rest isn’t really rest when you’ve got kids around. I don’t need to explain that to other parents.”

Van Aert would have preferred to be on his bike. “It wasn’t easy, but given the circumstances, I think he, and we, made the best of it,” said De Bie. “In the end, we decided to return home a bit earlier, which made things a little hectic. Not the most fun choice, but definitely the right one, even though that extra travel day wasn’t ideal either. But when you’re sick, you really just want to see your own doctor.”

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Just like after his crashes in Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Vuelta a España in 2024, Wout van Aert reportedly managed to switch gears quickly. “Keep going and stay positive. If Wout, after all those setbacks, can’t immediately bounce back mentally for once, then it’s up to me and the people around him to respond quickly. Of course, you worry, but I’ve learned to look ahead with a positive mindset. And yes, an illness is a different kind of challenge than a crash.”

Still, things weren’t always easy in the Van Aert household, especially after he seemed poised to win Dwars door Vlaanderen following all his physical setbacks, only to lose a 3-against-1 situation to Neilson Powless. “That definitely took some patching up, yes. After all those setbacks, it’s been hard to keep finding the motivation every time, and winning there would have meant a lot. Wout puts a lot of pressure on himself as it is, and I won’t pretend otherwise: what you journalists write and say adds to that. Wout reads it, or it finds its way to him one way or another.”

His wife Sarah must have been delighted to see him on TV after a hectic build-up when Van Aert immediately joined the battle for victory on day 1 of the Giro. The Belgian surprised himself by keeping up with the relentless pace set by Lidl-Trek on the final climb before just falling short against Mads Pedersen in the sprint. "This was way above expectations. I didn't feel great during the race, but there were only one or two chances to take the pink jersey in this Giro, so I wanted to try."

And so Van Aert went for it again on the second day, this time with less success. In the individual time trial, he finished only 34th, 39 seconds behind stage winner Joshua Tarling. He did not want to blame his poor start. "Since we started this Giro, it hasn't crossed my mind. I knew it had to happen in this time trial. Am I disappointed? Yes, I am."