With a second stage win in this Tour de France, Wout van Aert rewarded the hard work of his teammates at Jumbo-Visma in Lausanne on Saturday. “I am happy that they have worked so hard for me again in the hunt for the leading group. Then you actually have to finish it,” said Van Aert, after he defeated Australian Michael Matthews and Slovenian jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar in the sprint. had left the day’s victory behind.
It was not a perfect arrival for him, said Van Aert. “I had to survive on the climb. It was a struggle to stay in the wheel of Pogacar and his teammates. But I knew that if I could do that I would have a good chance. I was still a bit boxed in, but I managed to get out and I had enough left to pass the rest.”
It was already clear to him beforehand that there was nothing to gain in Lausanne for the real sprinters, such as Fabio Jakobsen. “It was an opportunity to finish in the points classification. I succeeded. I now think that Pogacar will perhaps become my biggest competitor in the battle for the green jersey. I will now have to collect points along the way,” he said nearby Lausanne Olympic Stadium, which also houses the International Olympic Committee. He waved off whether that had an extra charge for Van Aert. “Winning a stage in the Tour is always nice, wherever.”