'Patience is a virtue' - Van Aert continues positive trajectory after aggressive performance in Tirreno finale

Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) was active once again on the sixth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, and whilst Visma | Lease a Bike had to settle for third on the stage behind Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno X Mobility) with Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike), the Belgian admitted that he has been satisfied with his own race so far.

"We took our chance. I think Matteo [Jorgenson] is just a little short. We wanted to make a bid for the overall victory,” Van Aert told reporters, including Sporza at the finish. 

“Our goal was to isolate Del Toro, and that worked out quite well. But the final climb was so difficult that it was man-to-man. Unfortunately, there was little we could do tactically.”

Van Aert tested both his own legs and those of the opposition by contributing to the pace setting for Jorgenson inside the final 20km, before launching an attack with 4.5km remaining, a few kilometres from the foot of the final climb in Camerino. 

The plan was to be ahead to help Jorgenson battle against an isolated Del Toro, in the battle for the stage win and blue jersey.

"I tried to survive the first steep section so I could still do something on the flatter part,” Van Aert explained, after the Belgian was caught on the lower slopes of the final climb.

“I perhaps should have attacked a bit earlier to gain a bigger lead. But that also costs energy. As soon as those guys rode past me, it was a matter of pedalling as hard as possible to get to the top,” added Van Aert.

It’s no secret that Van Aert’s desire is to shine most brightly in the major Classics to come, and therefore, this week of racing at Tirreno-Adriatico has not just been about the results for the Belgian but also about putting the steps in place to be in his best shape possible for when it matters most. 

Ultimately, Van Aert is satisfied with his week’s work with the attacking racing serving as a good opportunity to test his legs in a race environment. The Belgian had also been on the attack from the flag drop on stage 6 alongside Mathieu van der Poel.

"It is difficult to simulate this in training. Here, the pace is set by someone and you have to respond to attacks,” said Van Aert. 

"It is a cliché, but you can't replicate that just in training. There have been a few stages where I could do my thing. I came close to victory. In terms of feeling, I am satisfied."

When asked about edging closer to his first victory of the 2026 season, Van Aert responded, "Patience is a virtue.”