Wout van Aert: 'I’ll start Strade Bianche with more question marks than I’d hoped'

Even with doubts, the choice of Strade Bianche is a calculated one. For Van Aert, the timing is deliberate. His Italian block begins here and continues with Tirreno Adriatico, a pairing he sees as a logical runway to bigger objectives later in the spring. “This year Strade Bianche is back on the schedule at my request,” Van Aert said on the website of his team. 

“I’m looking forward to racing again in Italy. It’s been a while since I last lined up at the start of Strade Bianche. Together with the team, we decided to skip the race for a few seasons, but this year it’s back on the schedule at my request. The combination of Strade Bianche and Tirreno Adriatico seems like a good preparation for our other goals later in the spring.”

His record on these roads gives him every reason to be taken seriously. Van Aert won Strade Bianche in 2020, and the gravel of Siena has also delivered one of his most memorable recent wins, when he took a stage victory at last season’s Giro d’Italia on similar terrain. 

Yet he arrives this week without the usual certainty, after an ankle injury during the winter and illness that disrupted his early-season plans.

His 2026 debut came on Tuesday at Le Samyn, where mechanical problems prevented him from fighting for the win. The race offered kilometres and intensity, but not much clarity. “It was nice to open my season at Le Samyn, but I’ll arrive at the start in Siena with more question marks than I had hoped,” he said. “I had marked Strade Bianche as the first real big goal of the season, but we’ll have to see how I feel on Saturday. In any case, I’m highly motivated to show myself.”

Visma | Lease a Bike arrives in Tuscany with more than one route to a result. Matteo Jorgenson is set to share responsibility with Van Aert, and the team likes its chances on the gravel.

“Strade Bianche is one of the most challenging races on the calendar,” sports director Maarten Wynants said. “Meticulous preparation is essential here. Because of the chaos, it’s not easy to make adjustments from the team car, so it’s important to have a clear plan beforehand. We can rely on a strong lineup.”

Van Aert underlined that ambition remains intact, even if his condition is still a question. “We’re lining up with a strong team,” he said. “Matteo has already shown good form in the French spring races. We can definitely aim for a top result.”