As expected, Wout van Aert confirmed on Thursday, during the presentation of the Visma-Lease a Bike team, that he will participate in the Giro d’Italia for the first time in 2024. Van Aert expressed his desire to excel in the Italian race and will organize his spring schedule differently to focus on this event.
Attempt at something new.
“It’s logical that you look for something different. I may have had that feeling for some time, but in recent years, there has also been a lot to be said for the Tour de France. But now is the time to try something new.”
And by “something new,” Van Aert is referring to the Giro d’Italia. But will this also have an impact on his spring campaign?
“The classics and the Giro are approaching, and that requires good planning. Therefore, I will make choices in the spring, trying to come out of Paris-Roubaix in good condition and continue until the Giro. There is no time to rebuild from scratch.”
No Italian classics in 2024
This means, concretely, that Van Aert will not participate in some prestigious spring races. “Basically, I’ll take the opening weekend and then skip everything until the E3 BinckBank Classic. Unfortunately, I won’t race Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo. It’s a tough choice, but during that period, I will train for the other classics and the Giro d’Italia.”
The Belgian from Visma-Lease a Bike will not be present in the Italian spring races but will focus on the most important Flemish classics and the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. “And there’s a good chance I’ll race the Amstel Gold Race after Roubaix,” he concluded.