Wout van Aert has stated that he will not target the general classification at the 2024 Giro d’Italia so as not to compromise his chances in the cobbled Classics.
Although official confirmation is unlikely to come until the Visma-Lease A Bike presentation later this month, Van Aert’s Giro debut has been widely reported in recent weeks.
The volume of time trialling and reduction in climbing on the 2024 route has heightened speculation that Van Aert would target a high overall finish in Italy.
Speaking to podcast De Rode Lantaarn, Van Aert downplayed the idea, pointing out that preparing to race the general classification at the Giro was incompatible with racing the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix for the win in April.
“I were to go to the Giro, I would prefer to go for stages,” Van Aert said. “I don't always see limits, but I also look at things realistically. Riding for GC cannot be combined with the other things I want.”
Van Aert has showcased his climbing ability in his Tour de France appearances to date, most notably in 2022, when he helped deliver the telling blows for Jonas Vingegaard on the Hautacam. The Belgian has twice finished in the top 20 of the Tour while racing as a super domestique, hinting at his own GC potential.
“Maybe I can ride a nice result if I sacrifice a lot for it, but I don't want that,” Van Aert said of the Giro. “I would hate to say: I was 5th in the Giro, but the rest of the year I was bored, because I went altitude training 100 times and I had to lose an extra 2kg.”
Van Aert added that he didn’t believe he could win the Giro even if he did focus squarely on preparing for the race.
“Even if I had general classification ambitions, it wouldn’t be to win, because my body shape is against me,” he said. “If it’s not with the aim of winning, then I don’t think the sacrifice is worth it.”
As well as seeking his first victories at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, Van Aert is also expected to target the Paris Olympics and the Zurich World Championships during a busy 2024 road season.
The Belgian looks set to pare down his cyclocross commitments over the winter, and he is expected to miss the World Championships. He currently has eight cyclocross races on his schedule, beginning with next weekend’s Exact Cross in Emmen.
The decision to race less in winter was taken in conjunction with new coach Mathieu Heijboer, as Van Aert’s long-term trainer Marc Lamberts left for Bora-Hansgrohe during the off-season,
“Mathieu puts different accents on it," Van Aert said. "We have consciously chosen to approach the cyclocross season a little more slowly and build up more progressively towards the road season.”
