Van Aert will not win a stage again, but is more positive than ever: "I feel like a rider again"

Yesterday he was in the leading group, hunting for a stage win. He didn't get there ahead of Wout van Aert, who had to settle for ninth place. However, he told Sporza on Thursday evening that this Tour is about much more. Above all, the Belgian is happy to be cycling again and cherishes that much more than before. Winning a stage is no longer in the cards, but there is anything but a negative feeling among the all-rounder."

"I experience a little less stress than it has sometimes been in the past. You can't underestimate the hunt for the green jersey, for example. Now I am a lot further away from the attention. I haven't been on the podium yet this Tour," he said. "In that respect, I am experiencing a much quieter Tour. And through my inactivity, I have learned to appreciate how nice it is to just race. To belong again. Maybe that makes me calm."

Van Aert already has the Paris Olympics on his mind for Sunday

Looking back on that fateful March 27th, Van Aert never underestimates the impact of his fall in Dwars door Vlaanderen. "It was certainly a tough day this year. A day that changed a lot. But in this Tour, I am finally a rider again," he says with relief. "Just being able to make your mark again and start with a plan, it allows you to forget that fall. It doesn't really bring up any bad feelings anymore. But the pain I felt afterward has lingered."

"I always want to be better, of course," he continues about the competitive aspect, only to then put it into perspective. "Maybe I am on my way to the form of my life. Who knows, it might be closer than I think. But you absolutely cannot compare this to my legs from the 2022 Tour." So for now, it's a bit of 'nothing is necessary, everything is allowed' for Van Aert, who will take it easy on Sunday, the only day that should suit him on paper. "In the time trial on Sunday, I will already have the Olympic time trial in my mind. I hope I can use that day to be a little more recovered from the Tour."