Wout van Aert explains what went wrong on decisive Tirreno gravel sector

On Wednesday, Van Aert reflected on what had gone wrong in the stage won by his longtime rival Mathieu van der Poel. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider admitted to considerable disappointment, especially because he felt his legs had been good enough to compete for the win.

Van Aert had approached the stage with clear ambitions and had even reconnoitered the finale a week earlier. Yet when the race exploded on the crucial sector, the Belgian was nowhere near the front of the action.

“I was very disappointed. I was completely out of position at the most important point of the race,” Van Aert said in an interview before the start of stage three with Sporza. “Because of that I simply could not ride for a result.”

The critical moment came shortly before the gravel sector began. “Just before that I lost Matteo’s wheel," Van Aert said. "In the descent it became a bit tricky and I lost some positions,” he said. “After that I made a few wrong decisions while trying to move up. Before we knew it, we were at that corner and I was stuck in a lost position.”

According to Van Aert, his physical condition was not the problem. Once the riders reached the gravel, he was actually able to move forward again and regain some ground.

“The legs were actually good. I could move up on the gravel and I met Matteo there,” he said, referring to teammate Matteo Jorgenson. “At that point the only thing I could still do was try to limit the damage compared to the other riders in the general classification.”

That effort proved valuable for the team. Jorgenson had crashed on the gravel sector but still managed to remain competitive in the general classification, partly thanks to Van Aert’s support. The American now sits seventh overall, 31 seconds behind new race leader Isaac Del Toro.

Still, the 31-year-old Belgian could not hide the sense that a major chance had slipped away.

“In the end that part went well enough, but of course we would rather have been fighting for the stage win with the two of us,” he explained.

Van Aert may have another opportunity in the following stages of Tirreno-Adriatico, though he remains realistic about his chances. A sprint finish is unlikely to favor him against pure fast men.

“There will be better opportunities in the coming days,” he said. “But I also have to be realistic. Riders like Philipsen are difficult to beat in that kind of finish.”

Even so, the Belgian still sees value in a demanding week of racing. “It will be a long day, but that is also good,” Van Aert said as he looked ahead to stage three. “The classics are coming. Extra hours on the bike are exactly what we are here for.”