'Maybe I’ll put in on Twitter' – Van Aert surprises with Tour de France sprint
Stage 8 was the first time in this edition of the Tour that the Belgian star was fighting for the stage honours, and there were plenty of positives to take.
A rejuvenated Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) sprinted to second place on stage 8 of the Tour de France behind Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek).
In the uphill drag to the finish in Laval, Van Aert positioned himself well in the wheel of the Italian and followed in the slipstream when Milan launched his sprint. Despite being unable to come past to take the stage win, Van Aert was comfortably the best of the rest, and it marks a positive day for the Belgian star.
"There wasn't much I could do about Milan today," Van Aert explained to reporters after the finish in Laval. "I couldn't get past him. It was a tough sprint with uphill sections, so I wanted to get in there. It's nice to get a result for once."
At the start of the stage, Van Aert had explained to reporters that he wasn't going to target the stage win, but post-finish, he revealed that it turned out to be a white lie as he had always planned to compete for victory on this stage.
This is perhaps a solid indication that the Belgian is getting better and stronger as the race goes on, as he revealed before the Grand Depart in Lille that he wasn't 100% after an illness that kept him out of the Belgian championships.
"I'd actually decided before the stage that I was going to contend. My legs were good yesterday, and they were good again today."
Van Aert was asked if he would reveal his ambitions next time he plans on fighting for the stage win via social media.
"I'll think about it. Maybe I'll post it on Twitter, although I'm not sure I still have my password," Van Aert joked. "If you're starting, you have every right to go for a result."
From a personal perspective, Van Aert will be bouyed by a strong showing on stage 8, and from a team point of view, Visma | Lease a Bike will be optimistic that the best version of the Belgian is yet to come at this Tour de France, as he will be crucial as a key support rider for Jonas Vingegaard if the Dane is to stand a chance at dethroning Tadej Pogačar in yellow.
Tour de France stage 8: Results and standings
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