Van Aert says Monaco time trial 'pushes the limits' as he targets early red jersey

Wout van Aert has questioned the technical demands of Saturday's opening time trial in Monaco, having ridden the course with Steven Kruijswijk, who lives in the principality.

"To be honest, I find the final section a bit too technical for a time trial bike. The organisers have pushed the limits with this route," Van Aert said in his pre-Vuelta press conference. "The scenery here in Monaco, along the coast and between the high flats, is absolutely spectacular for racing."

Kruijswijk, who told Domestique last week that this will be the 24th and final Grand Tour of his career, was the obvious recon partner. Van Aert has put more work into the discipline in recent weeks after letting it drift earlier in the season.

"The feeling is good. I trained a bit more on the time trial bike leading up to this opening time trial in Monaco, because there is a lot to gain. Not only the time trial itself, but it is also a chance to be close in the general classification and go for the red leader's jersey the next day."

The elbow injury that kept him out of the Tour de France interrupted that build-up, though he says it has not been a factor lately. "Not for the past two or three weeks. Before that, I had to wait quite a long time before I could ride the time trial bike again. However, after the Tour of Denmark, I was able to train exactly the way I wanted."

As mentioned, Van Aert missed July with an infected wound on the elbow and described watching Visma win the opening team time trial as the hardest moment of a race he had expected to ride. He rebuilt at altitude in Livigno before using the Tour of Denmark as a first test.

The window for red is narrow. Stage 3 heads for the mountains, leaving the time trial and stage 2 as his realistic chances.

"It is definitely on my mind. I don't have very much time to grab that leader's jersey. However, with the time trial and stage two, there are two great opportunities for me. I hope to be close, it would be a dream to wear it again."

He wore red at the 2024 Vuelta, his only previous appearance, winning three stages and leading both the points and mountains classifications before a crash on stage 16 ended his race.

"I am extremely motivated. Because I missed the Tour, but also simply because I love this race. It was a long and very different summer for me, so I am happy that the Vuelta is finally starting. It is nice to be able to ride the Vuelta again, because I have good memories of this race."

Visma | Lease a Bike come to Spain without a GC leader, an unusual position for a team of their size. Van Aert points to the 2025 Giro, where Simon Yates took the overall while the team also chased stages, as evidence they can run both agendas.

"It might sound strange, but in last year's Giro d'Italia we did win, though the focus wasn't solely on the general classification. Back then, we were also riding for stage wins with Olav Kooij and me. So we know how to approach this. Two years ago, we were also very successful in the stages here. For me, it gives extra confidence to have a full team behind me if needed."

The brief for Wout is straightforward. "The goal for me and the team is to be as successful as possible and win as many stages as possible. It is clear that we are here more for stage wins than with a strict goal for the general classification. I am a versatile rider and this course offers me many opportunities."

Among them is stage 15 into Córdoba, where Van Aert was the last Vuelta stage winner, with a run-in flagged as flat enough for a sprint if the break is caught.

Sharing those chances with Matthew Brennan is the other question. The 21-year-old starts his first Grand Tour with 19 wins across the last two seasons, and on paper is the fastest man in a thin sprint field.

"It could very well be that he does the flatter sprints and I do the tougher stages. It is Matthew's first Grand Tour and he has shown how fast he is on the flats. I would rather lead out the sprint for him than try to beat him. The race will ultimately decide, but there will be opportunities for both of us. If someone wins in our jersey, we will be happy."

Then there is Tadej Pogačar, back at the Vuelta after seven years and a complication for exactly the punchy stages Van Aert would otherwise circle.

"I was very disappointed when I heard that Tadej would be riding the Vuelta," he said, laughing. "No, it changes a lot for the race. Even for the intermediate stages that suit me, Pogačar is one of the biggest competitors. But I want to believe that this actually makes the Vuelta a more open race with more opportunities. We are here to win as many stages as possible."