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Wout van Aert’s consistency throughout the Tour de Suisse netted him the factors classification however the Belgian has mentioned that he nonetheless has margin for enchancment forward of the Tour de France.
The Tour de Suisse was Van Aert’s first race since he positioned second at Paris-Roubaix in April, and it got here after he had spent an prolonged interval coaching at altitude at Sierra Nevada and in Switzerland. The Belgian might be a key factor in Jumbo-Visma’s Tour squad as Jonas Vingegaard seems to defend his 2022 yellow jersey.
“I reached stage in the course of the week – possibly not my easiest stage but, however I hope to take one other step ahead within the subsequent two weeks by taking some additional relaxation,” Van Aert mentioned, in response to Het Laatste Nieuws. “I wanted the motivation of racing to achieve sharpness.”
The Tour de Suisse was overshadowed by the tragic demise of Gino Mäder, and Van Aert acknowledged that ideas of constructing pre-Tour type have been put to 1 apart in latest days.
“Sport is much less necessary for some time, so I do not know precisely the place I stand,” Van Aert mentioned.
“These have been troublesome days. There was a definite environment, which made it troublesome to proceed in the identical manner. I am trying ahead to going again dwelling and getting out of the racing world for some time.”
The race was bookended by particular person time trials. After inserting third behind Stefan Küng and compatriot Remco Evenepoel on the opening day, Van Aert needed to accept fifth within the longer, hillier take a look at to Abtwil on the ultimate stage on Sunday.
“The sensation was good, however not particular,” Van Aert mentioned.
“On the prime of the climb, I wished to press on, nevertheless it was troublesome for me. Even with out understanding my break up occasions, I already had the sensation that it could not be sufficient. It went effectively, however I had hoped to have the ability to supervisor issues a bit of higher.
“I at all times begin to win in a time trial, so it is at all times sobering when you do not win. However I believe it’s higher to attend some time earlier than drawing conclusions about how far behind my rivals I’m.”
Van Aert returns to motion later this week on the Belgian Nationwide Championships, the place he’ll line out within the particular person time trial on Thursday and the highway race on Sunday. Along with his 5 Belgian cyclocross titles, Van Aert was Belgian highway champion in 2021 and he gained the nationwide time trial in 2019 and 2020.
“I am trying ahead to it, the Belgian tricolour is a pleasant jersey,” he mentioned. “I’ve already worn it a couple of occasions and will certainly attempt to conquer it once more.”
Van Aert’s chief rival in each the time trial and highway race this coming week will certainly be Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), who was additionally in motion on the Tour de Suisse.
The world champion positioned third total after profitable the penultimate stage to Weinfelden and inserting second within the closing time trial.
“I got here right here understanding that I wasn’t in nice form, however I managed to take a stage win and end on the rostrum of this necessary race, which is sweet in the long run,” mentioned Evenepoel, who was making his first aggressive look since he deserted the Giro d’Italia with COVID-19 in Could.
Evenepoel has already confirmed that he won’t experience the Tour. He’s scheduled to soak up a coaching camp within the Val di Fassa within the Italian Dolomites in July in preparation for the World Championships in Glasgow, with the rest of his 2023 programme but to be determined.
“That is the place we’ll take a look at how my second half of the season goes,” Evenepoel mentioned of his Italian sojourn.
“However I can already say that I will be participating in San Sebastian and the World Championships.”
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