This could be Kuurne – Bruxelles – Kuurne, which he has won in the past; or it could be Le Samyn, the race used by Mathieu van der Poel last sprint to make his season debut, and also take his first win in a more low-pressure environment with a more modest field. Visma have not been present in the Belgian race over the past few years, but they will in the space of three weeks.
“We want to ride that race primarily for our young riders. Think of guys like Niklas Behrens and Per Strand Hagenes. I’ve never ridden the race myself, but I think it’s a great race,” team DS Grischa Niermann said to Wielerflits. “But we still have to decide”. Van Aert could use this race to further prepare his spring campaign, with an extra day of racing that is usually decided on an slight uphill sprint – a perfect setup for him – but most importantly perhaps, to give him better chances of taking a win into his big goals.