Another one challenge between those two, after the time trial in Bruges that made Van Aert and Evenepoel cry (symbolically but not too much), astonished on the podium behind GannaSince then there have been no further occasions of high-voltage clashes, with the exception of the Dauphiné time trial, won by Ganna with 2″ on the BelgianBut today, when the first yellow jersey of the Tour is at stake, evidently the reasons are similar to those of September on the North Sea.
Three stellar departures
On the eve of the departure of the Tour, Van Aert will have an exceptional hare: Filippo Ganna himself which ruined his World Cup day. The Italian will start at 17,03pm, the Belgian one minute later, with Pogacar right behind..
Martin Heijboer, coach of Jumbo Visma yesterday made the technical point on his rider with the Flemish journalists, trying to explain and perhaps also understand how the match will be played. Obviously he didn't say everything, but he hinted that from the numbers in his possession, the Belgian from Team Jumbo Visma he could have the cards to overturn a prediction that would already seem written.
To what extent does the time trial route suit Van Aert to aim for yellow?
It's quite technical, with 22 corners. We still have to understand how exactly they will place the barriers, because this could change the space and speed in the corners a bit, so we'll definitely see tomorrow morning (today, ed.). It's a time trial he really likes. If he had had to design the course himself, he would have lengthened it a bit, to exploit its power moreBut Wout is so versatile that he will also be able to express himself over a shorter distance.
Are you expecting another duel with Ganna?
Precisely because of the shorter distance, we will have to take into account more competitors. It's 100 percent certain that Ganna is the overall favorite., but Bissegger can be a very dangerous customer. You have to be careful Küng and maybe even to Asgreen, who runs on home roads, even if it didn't have an ideal approach.
Did you intervene on Van Aert's position and bicycle?
It's been the same since last winter. We've had in-depth sessions and when making changes, it's important to get used to it and not change too quicklyYou have to train and find confidence, stability and strength. You have to be able to maintain the position as best as possible for a long time, these are important aspects. Only the time trial handlebars have been slightly renewed. A minimal adjustment for the hands that does not affect the position. The grip is now slightly more ergonomic and this makes it even easier to hold.
Is there a point where Van Aert can make the difference on Ganna?
It will mainly depend on the condition on race day. We are confident we will have a great day. If so, Victory or defeat will depend on the smallest detailsWe have a package of solutions in mind that we've adopted, so Wout could win. Needless to say, I can't talk about it.
Has Van Aert been training a lot on his time trial bike lately?
Not so much until the spring, but since the Sierra Nevada training camp, he has been on his time trial bike at least twice a week.
The good news is that even if he doesn't win the time trial, he could take the jersey with time bonuses in the following days...
We have worked out a strategy for this tooWe thought a lot about how to split energy between intermediate and final sprints, but in the end you can only make a concrete plan on race day.
Does an all-rounder like Van Aert still train sprints?
Our Customers increased the frequency of these workouts in his weekly scheduleMainly longer sprints, because they are his strength. We often alternate them with some shorter ones at the end of a workout. We already have I saw at Dauphiné that those training sessions had borne fruit.
In recent days, training with the new shirt, Van Aert seemed very relaxed At Chaintré, in the Dauphiné, Van Aert won again in the sprint against Meeus
In recent days, training with the new shirt, Van Aert seemed very relaxed At Chaintré, in the Dauphiné, Van Aert won again in the sprint against Meeus
Are you primarily looking to increase peak power or sprint duration, maintaining a high speed for as long as possible?
For Wout, it's mainly about maintain his sprint speed for a longer stretchIncreasing his peak power would also mean strength training. But it would also add extra muscle mass, so It would also increase weight and be disadvantageous in other areasThe difference between Wout and typical sprinters is that he can maintain his speed for a very long time. And his sprint has a smaller drop after the toughest stagesWe tried to sharpen these weapons as much as possible to live up to the green jersey.
