Wout van Aert marks Tirreno stage: “Hope to fight for the stage win”

An explosive finale, featuring several steep climbs and a short gravel section: it seems tailor-made for Wout van Aert. The Belgian is highly motivated for the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Before the start, he already looked ahead to the first opportunity for puncheurs in the peloton.

Van Aert is "definitely ambitious" for today and has already checked out the course. "That was practically easy since we’re staying nearby here. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have done it," he said in front of the cameras of, among others, WielerFlits.

"The last seven kilometers are a sustained effort, so it's hard to say where the crucial spot is. If you can open a gap on the gravel, it's difficult to close that again. However, the last kilometer is still very tough, so it will depend on the race situation."

Van Aert is not worried about the road narrowing two kilometers from the finish. "That won’t be a problem because we won’t be charging in with a huge peloton," he told VTM. "It’s a super nice finish. I feel good and I’m looking forward to it."

The Belgian will likely have to face off against his eternal rival Mathieu van der Poel in the challenging finale, who has also set his sights on today’s stage. Is Van Aert looking forward to this possible duel? "I hope I can fight for the stage win, and then I’ll meet Mathieu along the way. It will happen naturally then."