‘Not worthy of a Grand Tour’: Visma backs Van Aert’s criticism of Vuelta opener

Wout van Aert was measured in his criticism of the Vuelta a España’s opening time trial, but his team was rather less reserved.

After the Belgian described parts of the Monaco course as “too technical” and “a little on the limit”, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Head of Performance Mathieu Heijboer went a step further in his assessment.

Heijboer described the course as “not worthy of a Grand Tour”. “If it rains or someone has bad luck, it becomes a fiasco. We should just be glad everything went well,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws.

The 9.4 kilometre course took the riders through some of Monaco’s most recognisable streets, including sections of the Formula 1 circuit, but the succession of corners and narrow passages left little margin for error.

Van Aert had already raised concerns before the start and repeated them after finishing eighth, nine seconds behind stage winner Tadej Pogačar. The Belgian was particularly critical of the sections through the park and around the marina.

He stopped short, however, of blaming the parcours for missing out on the victory.

Van Aert acknowledged that he had deliberately taken fewer risks through some of the corners and insisted that was his own decision.

He was not the only rider to question the course either.

“Madness,” was Cian Uijtdebroeks’ verdict. The Movistar rider had an early warning during his effort.

“My front wheel already slipped in one of the first corners, even though it was uphill,” Uijtdebroeks told Het Laatste Nieuws. “And then there was that Formula 1 descent...”

For Visma | Lease a Bike, the concerns over the course were accompanied by some frustration over the result.

The Dutch team had arrived in Monaco believing victory was possible. Christophe Laporte eventually produced their fastest ride, finishing fifth at six seconds, while Van Aert was eighth and Grand Tour debutant Matthew Brennan took 16th.

“The main goal was to win, so obviously we’re not completely satisfied,” Heijboer said. “We can say, however, that Christophe, Wout and Matthew all rode a solid time trial here.”

Van Aert’s performance was particularly encouraging with the next stage in mind.

The 31-year-old had made no secret of his ambition to take the first red jersey in Monaco, but finishing only nine seconds behind Tadej Pogačar means that opportunity has not disappeared.

“Wout confirmed his good form, and we know that he generally takes a little less risk,” Heijboer said. “With tomorrow in mind, he is in a good position. The competition will be strong, but a finish like that should suit him.”

Attention now turns to stage 2 to Manosque, a long and hilly day that should play more naturally to Van Aert’s strengths. With ten bonus seconds available at the finish, Visma | Lease a Bike have every reason to make it a selective race.