VAN AERT. "THE CLASSICS ARE A GOAL, NOT AN OBSESSION. AND THE PINK JERSEY..."
PROFESSIONALS | 16/01/2025 | 08:20 di Francesca Monzone Van Aert's thoughts were numerous in 2024 and, due to falls that forced him to stop at Through Flanders and the Vuelta, he experienced moments of discouragement. Now the Flemish rider has gotten back up and in this new season his goals are many: the Giro-Tour double and Classics like the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. The two Monuments are important for Van Aert and he wants to win them, but they are not an obsession for him, rather a natural path for a rider with his characteristics: among his desires is wearing the pink jersey of the Giro for the first time. In 2025 there will also be the first cycling World Championships on the African continent, but the Belgian has not yet made a decision about his potential participation. "When I first participated in these classics in 2018, it immediately became clear that one day I could win them. I still believe that today - said the Flemish rider during his team's media day about Flanders and Roubaix -. I have never said that Flanders and Roubaix have become an obsession for me, certainly I cannot even say that I don't care about winning them, it remains a logical ambition. My desire to win these two races will remain great, but if I don't succeed, I will still think about the wonderful period in which I chased that dream." Last year, due to the fall at Through Flanders, Van Aert had to stop for a long period and therefore did not participate in the Giro d'Italia. The Belgian has recovered and his plans are going in the right direction, and we will finally see him at the start of the pink race in May. "I have never doubted my participation and then the start from Albania attracts me very much because it is a country I have never been to. Moreover, the first three days are quite suitable for a rider like me: we will have a difficult first stage, a time trial on the second day and another tough stage on the third day. It's really perfect for me. I would be happy to wear the pink jersey in the first weekend of the race." It is no secret and a known fact that Van Aert is a great jersey collector and therefore will do everything to take the pink jersey at the first opportunity. "My participation in the last Tour was perhaps a bit less evident, but we noticed that the combination of two consecutive grand tours suits me very well. I also like the Tour route and want to win stages while helping Jonas Vingegaard win again." Van Aert will have the opportunity to race for the first time in Africa at the World Championships organized in Rwanda, but his participation is not yet certain. "I am definitely thinking about it, but after the Tour I will have to see what I will have left in the tank. Of course, I would very much like to be there and at this point I would say yes, I have already told our national coach. I also have the feeling that Serge Pauwels believes in my chances of results or at least that I could represent an added value for our national team. If I am one hundred percent at that moment, then the difficult race route would suit me, but if in August I feel that I am not at the point where I would want to be, then it would make little sense to go. Considering the difficulty of the route and the fact that it takes place at high altitude, to prepare well I would first need to do another high-altitude training camp." The Flemish champion then explained that the difficulties in his recovery after the accidents were not only physical but also mental, and for this reason he still uses a mental coach. "The two accidents last year, in which I suffered significant consequences, were zero percent my fault, I am firmly convinced. But during the year there were other falls in which I can say I was at fault, because I had made mistakes or was not focused enough. That's why I am working with a mental coach and with specific exercises to increase and maintain concentration, in which I firmly believe. It took time and I worked a lot, but I can say that I have regained my confidence." Van Aert continues to emphasize that cycling must become safer. One of the solutions he suggests is to limit gears, so that speed, especially downhill, decreases. "I am convinced that limited gears could avoid some dangerous situations. But this is only part of the problem. I am also in favor of further research on how we can better protect our bodies. If we look at motorcycling, we see riders fall at 200 kilometers per hour and walk away unscathed. Of course, we cyclists suffer significant damage when we fall because we wear thin clothing like paper, but there are also other issues. Sometimes we still fall in places that are too dangerous for stupid reasons and sometimes we still have to face dangerous descents. Last year at the Vuelta there was a descent full of gravel, we were told they would clean it, but that was not the best solution. The only way we have is to change public opinion, because I believe that race organizers and the UCI must do a bit more and understand how serious the problem is."
Senza pogi avrebbe potuto vincere almeni 7 tour di fila, la cosa vale anche in senso inverso naturalmente. Io continuerò a preferire lo sloveno perché come si evince dalla storia dei due e anche dal programma di quest'anno il danese non si smuove dalla sua confort zone e dalla preparazione focalizzata sul tour (ovvio che è talmente superiore agli altri che può vincere anche le altre corse a tappe precedenti pur senza essere al top se non incontra l'altro suo pari livello). Mi auguro che per il mondiale non faccia orecchie da mercante anche quest'anno perché un percorso così non gli ricapita più
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