Attack early ✅ Win the stage ✅ Celebrate with the family 🥰✅ 🫶 @WoutvanAert Ataque lejano ✅ Ganar la etapa ✅ Celebrarlo con la familia ✅🥰 #LaVuelta24
Van Aert amazes even Visma | Lease a Bike after stunning stage win: "Peloton suffered more than on Sunday"
CyclingTuesday, 27 August 2024 at 18:41
Wout van Aert had already been riding around quite impressively in the Vuelta a España, but his stage win on day ten was on another level. The Belgian of Visma | Lease a Bike won a mountain stage from a strong breakaway group, so naturally he had a big smile on his face after the finish. His victory was even more special because his family could witness it.
"It doesn’t happen often that they can see me win at the finish, so that makes it extra special," Van Aert said afterward on the rollers, shortly after greeting his wife Sarah and sons Jerome and Georges. He wanted to win for them. "I really wanted to be in the breakaway, even though I struggled on the first climb of the day. When I had almost given up, I tried one more time... After that, we still had to go all out for at least fifty kilometers to create a gap."
With Quentin Pacher, Juri Hollmann, Marc Soler and Lecerf joining him, he had four perfect companions in the breakaway. These were men willing to ride hard, in a finale that suited Van Aert well. "The fact that it was so intense at the start worked to my advantage. The climbers in the group had less fresh legs because of it, which allowed me to win."
Read more below the photo.
Van Aert not focusing on the mountain classification (yet)
We already knew that Van Aert is a versatile rider. Throughout his illustrious career, he has won classics, time trials, bunch sprints and mountain stages. The fact that he was the clear favorite for the stage win on Tuesday, in a breakaway with climbers like Marc Soler and Junior Lecerf, said it all. He lived up to that expectation, never finding himself in trouble, clearly riding with the legs that once won him a stage over Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France.
After Tuesday, his career win tally stands at 49. Could win number fifty come in this Vuelta? "It’s great in a race like this, where you have a diverse profile. In stages like these, I always have a chance, and this win is really cool." Van Aert smiles but frowns when asked about the mountain jersey. After his stage win, he is tied at 22 points with Adam Yates, the UAE-Team Emirates rider who can currently call himself king of the mountains. "Really? That’s just a coincidence. If you’re in a breakaway of five, you naturally take quite a few points away from the others. My eyes are on the points jersey," he says, almost endearingly cautious.
Read more below the photo.
Gesink (left) and Van Aert (right)
Visma | Lease a Bike does everything for Van Aert
Visma | Lease a Bike was probably less surprised by Van Aert’s performance. "Wout already said during the rest day that he wanted to go for it today," laughs teammate Robert Gesink on Eurosport. "I have great respect for how he ultimately did it, because it was a super tough day right from the start. The fact that he came to the front with such a group was already incredibly strong. The entire peloton suffered more than on Sunday, so I’m really glad Wout pulled it off."
The Belgian already has three stage wins in the bag, but where will it end? "He’s enjoying this Vuelta, together with his family. This race suits him well, even though it’s new for him. As a team, we try to support him wherever possible. He always has big goals, so we make a plan every day to win stages with him. He’s far ahead in the points classification, so he’ll have marked a few more stages on his calendar."
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024