Team director Van Dongen warned Van Aert about potential dangers (and provides an update on Benoot after withdrawal)

Following Jan Tratnik's win in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Sunday saw Wout van Aert's triumph in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. It was a perfect weekend for Visma | Lease a Bike and team director Arthur van Dongen, who was able to speak to the press with a big smile for the second consecutive day.

Everything seemed to go according to plan. "Things turned out a bit different from what might have been planned in advance, but the idea was not to let large groups get away and to keep the race under control as long as possible. We succeeded in that because the breakaway of the day only managed to get away very late. Then, we wanted to put the rest under pressure, which worked well with four of our guys on a group of sixteen," begins Van Dongen with his version of the race narrative.

"Wout is then so strong on those climbs. He pushed so hard that we were left with four men, and then after the Trieu, with three," continues the team director, who didn't see it as a concern that only Tim Wellens, Oier Lazkano, and Laurence Pithie were with them on the long road to Kuurne. "The fact that it was with only a few guys wasn't seen as a threat by us. The wind was favorable, and they also kept up well, and I think they didn't have much choice. A great race from the guys."

Nevertheless, the presence of the 21-year-old New Zealander Pithie, a budding sprinter, did add an interesting dynamic. "We had noted on the way to Ronse that Pithie was quick, so I believe that was in his mind. Perhaps that motivated him to push harder on the Trieu, effectively dropping Pithie," said the team leader, who could conclude that the best guy in the race had won. "The trio in the lead were the strongest, with Wout proving to be just a little bit better. Making the race challenging in the hills effectively neutralized many sprint-focused teams. Given the tailwind, we were confident they wouldn't easily catch up, especially with several disruptors in the mix."

The fact that Van Aert - who was making his debut in the race - had never won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne but really wanted to, didn't necessarily play into Visma | Lease a Bike's strategy. "He also really wanted to win the Omloop, but this one as well. If you're feeling good, then this win certainly wouldn't look out of place on your achievements. The main thing is that someone from the team wins, but in a sprint, we would fully play Wout's card. That was the plan."

Van Aert is set for an altitude camp with three teammates

Instead of preparing for the Strade Bianche, Van Aert will board a plane to Tenerife on Monday for a three-week altitude camp. "That, instead of participating in Tirreno-Adriatico or Paris-Nice, is a significant change, but otherwise, we will just continue with our philosophy. It's not that we're changing our approach because Tadej Pogacar isn't participating. His absence does make a big difference, also for our tactics, but the competition always plays a role."

Van Aert will be joined at altitude by Jan Tratnik, Per Strand Hagenes, and Tiesj Benoot. The latter withdrew on Sunday as the defending champion in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, after complaining of pain in his sacrum following the Omloop. "He's suffering from injuries he sustained in the Algarve. Obviously, that's not good or pleasant, but he's now heading to altitude. There we can treat him well, and he can train properly, after which hopefully it won't be a problem for the rest of his race schedule."