Team Visma | Lease a Bike arrived at the Giro d’Italia without a strong mountain support team for their leader Simon Yates. This put more pressure on versatile rider Wout Van Aert, who stepped up to assist in critical moments during stage 16, one of the race’s toughest mountain days.
Van Aert, 30, burned an impressive 7,300 calories during the stage, revealing this detail in a post-race interview with Sporza.
He joined a 24-rider breakaway early on, a strategic move meant to keep him close to Simon Yates and ready to help if needed. “The plan was for me to be in the break, especially if other general classification teams like EF Education-EasyPost or INEOS Grenadiers were there,” Van Aert explained.
When a gap opened ahead, Van Aert didn’t hesitate to bridge it, joining six riders at the front. “Riding with a small group at the front for an hour was more exhausting than expected, but it was the only way to support Simon by starting with a lead,” he said.
Van Aert also helped launch his new British teammate on the lower slopes of San Valentino. “We agreed that if the pace was slow, I would try to accelerate early on,” he said.
After the stage, Van Aert noted the general classification battle had become clearer, with three riders within 30 seconds of each other. Simon Yates remains in second place, while Richard Carapaz, who put in a strong performance, moved up to third. “Carapaz was already a strong contender, and he proved it today,” Van Aert said.
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