Wout van Aert is set to compete in Dwars door Vlaanderen, marking his return after a serious crash last year. Following criticism for his performance at the E3 Saxo Classic, he seeks to prove his form ahead of the Tour of Flanders. Van Aert and his team intend to race aggressively given their lack of a strong sprinter. Despite recent disappointing results, the team's directeur sportif remains optimistic about their long-term goals. With favorable conditions expected, Van Aert is focused on achieving the best result possible.
I hope for the best possible result. We are here at the start to win the race. We don't have a real sprinter at the start to compete with guys like Jonathan Milan because Olav Kooij dropped out in Gent-Wevelgem, so we have to race to have a chance.
The wind is favourable for a tough race. In the final, the wind often comes diagonally and from behind us. After the hill zone, it's going to be harder than usual to get something straight.
Van Aert returned to racing after a spell at altitude - and a month away from the action - at E3 but finished almost three minutes behind solo winner Van der Poel.
Earlier this week, Visma directeur sportif Arthur Van Dongen acknowledged the press criticism in an interview with Cyclingnews while insisting that the team is working on the long term and that Van Aert remained upbeat heading towards Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
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