Wout Van Aert is considered by many as a favorite for the European Time Trial Championship, but he did not have a smooth preparation for the title battle in Drenthe.
Van Aert fell ill during the preparation for the European Championship. “I’m feeling healthy again now, but last week, I had an acute stomach issue. It wasn’t much fun for a few days. I had to cancel some training,” explained the 29-year-old rider in a press conference to the Belgian TV channel Sporza.
“That’s never ideal, but I’ve been at the Tour of Britain. And with a bit of extra rest, I’ll be fresh at the start. In the last two days, I’ve felt normal again, and I hope I haven’t lost too much of my form. If I can perform at a high level, the goal should be a podium in this time trial.”
“I haven’t fully recovered after coming back from the Tour of Britain, and that’s why I fell ill on Wednesday. It remains to be seen whether this time trial comes too early or not.”
Joshua Tarling the favorite for Van Aert
Van Aert will have to compete against the current champion Stefan Bissegger and his compatriot Stefan Küng on Wednesday, but he considers another cyclist as the favorite: “I start thinking I should be able to finish on the podium, but Joshua Tarling is the favorite, despite his age. The course is beautiful, but not immediately in our favor. I’m more likely to think of someone like Tarling, a tree (referring to the British rider’s physical strength) in human form.”
