Last Friday (01), through social media and official websites, and confirmed on the “De Rode Lantaarn” podcast, Wout van Aert commented that to start the 2024 season he will hold the Giro d’Italia races in a calmer and which does not have the objective of achieving the general classification of the competition.
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“If I were going to the Giro, I would prefer to go to the stages. I don’t always see limits, but I also see things realistically. Running for the GC cannot be combined with other things I want”, said the athlete when commenting on the next competitions he will compete in.
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The athlete continued to debate his intentions: “Maybe I can get a good result if I sacrifice a lot for it, but I don’t want that. I would hate to say ‘I came 5th in the Giro, but the rest of the year I was bored, because I trained 100 times at altitude and had to lose 2kg more. Even if I had ambitions of general classification, it wouldn’t be to win because my body shape is against me. If it wasn’t with the aim of winning, I don’t think the sacrifice is worth it.”
Wout van Aert declared that he has the desire to seek first victories in the Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders competitions, as well as the Olympic matches in Paris and the World Championships in Zurich. The decision to be involved in a few races next season was discussed with his current coach, Mathieu Heijboer.
Regarding the change in the calendar, Mathieu Heijboer reports that the dynamics will be different but that it will bring more determination and performance. “This will certainly be a change for Wout. At Jumbo-Visma we guide the pilots as a team, but each pilot has direct contact with whom the training sessions are discussed”, he concluded.