Wout van Aert returns to racing after stomach flu: "Curious if I'm fit enough to perform"

Wout van Aert had to withdraw from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad due to illness but will make his season debut on the road three days later. The Belgian was the main attraction at the start of the Ename Samyn Classic, but what can we expect from the Visma | Lease a Bike rider during the race itself?

"I feel fit again after quite a tough stomach flu," Van Aert told VTM before the race. "I couldn’t eat properly for several days. So far, I’ve felt a bit weak on the bike. I’m curious if I’m fit enough to perform."

"If all goes well, I want to make it an aggressive race. It was frustrating to get sick at that exact moment. The Omloop is a key target you train for during winter. The disappointment was dealt with before the start."

Visma | Lease a Bike doesn’t expect miracles
"He’s doing fine, but we shouldn’t expect miracles today," Head of Racing Grischa Niermann told VTM. "He was really quite sick. He’s fit and healthy again, but probably not 100% yet. We’ll see; he’s allowed to race and there’s nothing wrong. But whether he’ll feel great today, we’ll have to find out on the road."

With Christophe Laporte out of contention, Van Aert is the clear team leader. "He’s obviously the team leader. We’re definitely riding for Wout, but we also hope riders like Per Strand Hagenes and Matisse Van Kerckhove can make their mark. But if the race ends in a sprint, Wout is our man."