Team Visma | Lease a Bike has faced challenges at the Volta ao Algarve so far. Stage 1, expected to end in a bunch sprint, turned chaotic when the peloton nearly went off course in the final stretch. In Stage 2, Jonas Vingegaard was unable to distance his key rivals. Now, Wout van Aert aims to turn things around for the team this Friday afternoon.
“I plan to sprint today. I was able to conserve some energy at the end of yesterday’s stage, so we’ll see how it goes,” van Aert told VTM ahead of the race in Portugal. He will face tough competition from sprinters like Jordi Meeus and Biniam Girmay but has made his intentions clear.
Although Stage 1 had no official winner, every remaining stage presents an opportunity for van Aert, who began his 2025 season at the Clasica Jaen Paraiso Interior earlier this week. While he has yet to secure a victory, he is eager to gain momentum ahead of an ambitious spring campaign.
However, today’s race favors pure sprinters, making van Aert’s challenge even greater. “The final stretch is quite straightforward, with a very wide road until about 1.5 kilometers before the finish,” he explained. “Positioning will be tricky but crucial.” When asked about his chances of winning, he responded confidently, “I really want that, but then again, I always do.”
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