It will be Van Aert's first race since his crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen, in which he broke his collarbone, sternum and seven ribs. As a result, the winner of Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne was forced to pull out of all the spring classics and his Giro d'Italia debut. A long rehabilitation followed. "It hasn't always been easy sitting on the sidelines, but fortunately, I can now look ahead again", Van Aert says.

The Tour of Norway will give Van Aert a chance to get back into the race rhythm. "I am looking forward to pinning on a race number again. I have been able to train more and more in recent weeks, but it is still different from racing. So, my main goal is to test myself and see how I do in a race. Without any expectations."

Sportive director Merijn Zeeman also points out that there are no immediate expectations for Van Aert. "It's great to have Wout back in the team after his crash. He starts without any pressure to perform. This is a good moment for him to test himself in competition again. We don't know yet what the rest of his race schedule will look like. We will see in the coming weeks."

"We are taking things one step at a time. That has proven to be the best way to recover", concludes Van Aert, who will be joined in Norway by Bart Lemmen, Koen Bouwman, Tijmen Graat, Menno Huising and Per Strand Hagenes.