TIRANA (Albania) – It's as if suddenly nothing is going right for him anymore. Even the approach to the Tour of Italy by Wout Van Aert was influenced by an illness that the Belgian himself has been talking about since his first contact with the media at the team presentations. And if it's true that nothing ever happens to the winners – from health problems to the most trivial punctures – we must recognize that Things are going very wrong for the Belgian this yearSo, from the predestined winner of the first stage and the first pink jersey, Van Aert now finds himself faced with a few too many doubts.
«I have been very ill – he reiterated yesterday on the sidelines of the press conference - I had a viral infection and had to take a lot of antibioticsThat's why I had to make a lot of changes to my preparation. It wasn't the approach I was hoping for. So I'm starting with a little fear. The truth is that I haven't been able to train well since the Amstel, except on my first day here in AlbaniaWhen this happens, it's difficult to go to the start with the necessary confidence."
The pink dream
The only good training is a 63-kilometer tour around the Albanian capital, with a reconnaissance of the circuit which will be covered twice today in the first stage (photo Visma-Lease a Bike (in the opening). The Surrel climb, 7 kilometers long and with a gradient of about 4,5 percent, which under normal circumstances it would have been a springboard for him towards victory and the first pink jersey, would now appear to be a cause for concern.
«It was useful to try the climb – he reiterated yesterday during the press conference reserved for the top of the class – but my impression is that it is quite difficult for meThe start is steep, and after the crest it's all downhill to the finish. I see a chance for the attackers to reach the finish line. I hope I don't have to give up on my pink dream, especially because I ended the spring with good feelings."
The goal of growing
Of course the Albanian start would have been ideal for the best Van Aert, who with the first stage and then the time trial, he would have had the ideal terrain and the right team to win the first pink jerseyAlthough it is widely believed that Sunday's stage in Vlora would be too tough even for the best version of Van Aert 2025.
«It's frustrating – he explained yesterday, lifting the veil on his problems – but I always get sick at the most inopportune timesLast week I was even afraid I wouldn't be able to leave. Now that I'm here, it's a relief. I hope I'm fit, but we'll see how it goes day by day. I'll try to do something, I'm here to winThe most important thing now is to get through the first stages well and see how my body reacts. Usually in a Grand Tour I always manage to grow, so if I'm not at my best from the start, I'm confident I'll get better as the stages go by. I never had any ambitions for the rankings, it would be nice to win as many stages as possible."
Break the ice
Illness or not, the Belgian has thus dispelled any suspicions about his goals for the Giro d'Italia. It had been thought that he no longer had its peak speed due to a preparation aimed at doing better in stage races, but it seems that this is not the case.
«It was never my intention – he explained – to win the Giro. We're here to win as many stages as possible, while our man for the general classification is Simon YatesI might even do a good time trial tomorrow. This year I only did a 19-kilometer one in the Algarve and it went pretty well (Van Aert finished second behind Vingegaard, ed.). But at this point, With all the doubts caused by the illness, we will have to wait and see how the first day goes.. Then we will be able to understand what my most immediate objectives will be."
