Van Aert sets his sights on 'classic dream' in 2024
A palmares to lick your fingers at, a vital role in the Visma | Lease a Bike team in the successful 2023, several personal stage wins in grand tours and a monumental victory. But Wout van Aert says he is far from satisfied. The Belgian has high ambitions for 2024. "A victory in cycling's Holy Week would be fantastic", he said.
It's no secret that Van Aert aims to win Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders. Leaving nothing to chance, the Belgian recently took to the cobbles of northern France for a training ride.
Speaking at the Team Visma | Lease a Bike team presentation in Amsterdam, Van Aert looked ahead. "The first part of my season is about building up to Flanders and Roubaix. I will wear a number on the opening weekend of the classics and then not race for a while. I want to get out of my comfort zone and try something different", said Van Aert, explaining his decision to skip the Italian spring races.
"Maybe it is logical for me to look for a different approach, but above all, I am doing what feels right. For 2024, our classics team is strong again, and our confidence is high. I think the team has become even stronger with the arrival of Matteo Jorgenson and Per Strand Hagenes from the Development Team. However, the retirement of Nathan Van Hooydonck is a loss."
"Our confidence is high"
As Van Aert's master domestique, Van Hooydonck played a prominent role at the heart of the team in the past few years. "Christophe Laporte is also invaluable to me", said Van Aert in praise of the Frenchman. "His qualities are unquestionable. With him we are already a team to be reckoned with. I trust him blindly and we work very well together, as the last few years have shown."
Laporte agrees that racing with Van Aert brings out the best in him. "I've been riding for this team for two years and I am happy here. I soon realised that I was not riding for Wout, but with him. With him at my side, I have the best chance of winning big races myself. I am not afraid to give everything for Wout when the situation demands it. That will probably be the case again next spring."
"We also have big ambitions for 2024"
Laporte feels very much at home with Team Visma | Lease a Bike, not least because of his strong performances last year. "2023 was a fantastic year. With this team we achieved something really extraordinary. Winning the European title in Drenthe was a personal highlight. We also have big ambitions for 2024. Everything is in place and I hope to contribute to the team's success in the spring. It is essential to be in good shape from the start to fight for important victories as a team. With Wout we have a good contender for victory."
Van Aert, who will race his first Giro d'Italia in 2024, will pick up where he left off after the opening weekend of the E3 BinckBank Classic. He is the defending champion. "Skipping the Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo was a difficult decision. But it was a necessary choice to be in the best possible shape for the start of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. There's a good chance I'll race the Amstel Gold Race after the cobbles. Hopefully I will do so with one or more victories under my belt."
