Visma | Lease a Bike on whether 'inconsistent' Van Aert can still be expected at the front and potential growth from Vingegaard

Strong in the opening weekend, occasionally a solid sprint, but also with some inconsistent days: Wout van Aert is having a Tour de France that is, especially by his standards, quite variable. Therefore, IDLProCycling.com went to Visma | Lease a Bike with the question: what can we still expect from the friendly Belgian this edition?

It is team manager Arthur van Dongen who spoke with us on Sunday morning, just before the start of the much-discussed gravel stage (where Visma | Lease a Bike ultimately played a 'leading role' in various ways), starting with the flat stages in general. "Those are often very hectic. It's important to stay alert. Our main priority is to get through the stage safely, and so far, we've succeeded in that. We are absolutely satisfied with that."

Visma | Lease a Bike not surprised by fluctuating form of Van Aert, who seems to occasionally find his form

Take, for example, stage number eight: Van Aert had indicated multiple times in the lead-up that he had circled that stage - after all, the finish was slightly uphill - and he wanted to go for it. However, at fifteen kilometers from the finish, we saw the man from Herentals drop back after a strong turn at the front. Later reports mentioned his legs felt like concrete blocks.

"He and we as a team had expected that maybe it was possible, but it turned out his legs weren't good enough," Van Dongen explained. "Considering his preparation, it's logical that he alternates between good and not so good days. On the first day, for example, he was very, very good, as he was in a few other stages. Sometimes it goes a bit less well. It fluctuates."

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Van Dongen's statements are clear, as he also emphasizes the importance of a less-than-stellar Van Aert. "Especially for Jonas. That's the great thing about someone like Wout. For example, on Saturday, he quickly realized it wasn't going to be his day. He promptly radioed that he couldn't follow a counter-attack involving Mathieu van der Poel and Jan Tratnik. He already said it wasn't his day and that he'd better serve as a domestique."

What about the rest of the Tour? Will we see Van Aert sprinting again, provided he has good legs? Or launching an attack? "The main goal in the Wout stages for us is usually to safely escort Jonas to the finish," Van Dongen believes. "That's our top priority. If Jonas is safe and Wout is in a good position, then he can certainly try to get involved. He won't hold back in that case. But in principle, it's all about supporting Jonas. It also depends on what unfolds and what challenges lie ahead for us."

Powerful climbing section in time trial gives Visma | Lease a Bike a lot of confidence

In short, everything revolves around supporting two-time Tour winner and defending champion Vingegaard, whose (rising) level Van Dongen also spoke highly of. "The time trial is often a good indicator of someone's form. Jonas did very well there. Matteo (Jorgenson) also rode a strong chrono. Especially the fact that Jonas climbed the fastest of everyone gives us a lot of confidence. We can really build on that."

How much more can Vingegaard grow in such an exhausting race like the Tour? We know that he usually reaches his highest levels in the third week. Given his comeback process, this year will likely be no different, one would say. "Making big strides or growing a lot might be too definitive to say. I think it's more about making the difference in the final days in and around Nice. In that regard, it's more about being fresh enough," explained the Dutch DS. "I do believe that history has shown us that as a team, we should be able to achieve that."