Van Aert reflects on performance: "In the end, I couldn't keep up anymore"

For the second day in a row, Wout van Aert had to settle for third place, this time in the second stage of the Tour de Suisse. The Belgian Jumbo-Visma rider started the sprint from a distance, but was overtaken by eventual winner Biniam Girmay and Arnaud Démare.

"I started a bit too early, I'm pretty sure of that," was Van Aert's initial conclusion, as he spoke to IDLProCycling.com at the finish line in Notwill. "It was very chaotic, and when I saw some space, I just went for it, but it was still more than three hundred meters to go. In the end, I couldn't hold on."

Along the way, the Belgian rider also collected some points for the points jersey in this Tour de Suisse, revealing a bit of his ambition. "If no one else sprints, then I can win it," the Belgian grinned, only to later comment more seriously. "If I can participate in a few stages, which I believe I'm capable of, then I think I can win that points jersey. That's why I went for it during the intermediate sprints as well."

Van Aert satisfied after two days in Switzerland

All in all, Van Aert is happy with where he stands after two days in Switzerland. "I'm feeling very good, especially during this stage, despite it being very tough, I felt really strong. The pace was high. On the climb, we tried to make the race difficult, but it wasn't quite tough enough. Had I made a slightly better assessment, there was potential for more, so I'm satisfied."

In the upcoming mountain stages, the Belgian rider will mainly ride in a support role. "I won't be going for it in the next three stages, we'll see after that. I will support Wilco as best as I can; he's in great form and can aim for a good overall classification. That's the main objective, and for myself, it's important to get through it."