The old bicycle theory served to define. 29 years The age at which seniority is reached is the time for the majority of riders to start achieving great successes, which take the form of fighting for the overall rankings of the Tour. And also because it’s the ideal age to negotiate the contract of your life. 30 yearsIn the past they best described the cyclist as too old to face the challenges and the perfect opportunity to start cutting wages.

Wout van Aert is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars of contemporary cycling and a member of the elite VIP club of the great six, who win everything, sharing victories at big events like trophies. of the world calendar with Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel. And perhaps even in the already completed 2023 cycling season, it has had the least success of the six bikes, prompting it to completely change planning for 2024. VanAert will try to challenge for victory, or at least a good place in the general classification, for the first time in the three-week two-stage tour; First the Giro, then the Vuelta.

After spending the season competing in cycling, 29-year-old Van Aert decided to change scenery with a career that has established him as a superb cyclist and the only one to become the best all-terrain teammate in the Tour. The mud and dirt of cyclocross feature prominently on all the classics, and even make a triumphant ride on the newfangled gravel.

2023 will not go down as the best cycling year VanAertHe did not achieve any stage victories in the Tour, but continued his excellent performance in most of the classics in which he competed: third in Milan-San Remo, first in the E3 Saxo Classic, second in Ghent-Wegelgem, fourth in Flanders third in Roubaix, World Championship Second in and second in the cyclocross World Championships, almost always behind Van der Poel, the real troublemaker.

Merckx’s favorite

Eddy Merckx’s favorite Belgian cyclist in 2024 and inside the cake evenepoel, although much smaller than in previous years, aims to compete in the Giro general classification after a first dose of effort in traditional riding and cyclocross in the spring classics. The press in his homeland suggests there are five races in this particular event and then he focuses entirely on the road, with highlights such as the Giro, the Vuelta and the immense excitement of aiming for the gold medal in the Olympic cycling race for the Flemish cyclist. It will be getting by without the Tour that will slow down his team the most when designing the 2024 calendar, as Vingegaard’s contribution will be decisive in their victory, especially in 2022.

Can he climb the Stelvio at 78 kilos at the speed of the best climbers? This is one of the biggest doubts, it is also an incentive, but its existence is a competition. pogakar– will confirm the success of the Giro management in programming a much smoother tour of Italy than in previous years, when the difficulty was so extreme and intense that all the figures pedaled in fear of what awaited them in the final stages; So much so that they literally turned the test into a three-week ordeal.

spanish tour

VanAert Also look out for the Vuelta in Madrid on December 19th. There is no doubt that Spanish ports are much better for him than Italian ports, and his trademark short, explosive slopes can only become a landscape of success for the flamenco star.

Jumbo emerged at the Spanish Tour this year with a trident sharing all three places on the podium and even with the feeling that the so-called weakest (Sepp Kuss) was allowed to win the race. It will no longer exist in 2024 Roglic He’s been with them since he signed for Bora, but Vingegaard After winning the Tour (second in Madrid) he realized he could aim for victory at the Vuelta. Although the Games will decide the fate of the season after the Tour de France, the Danish cyclist can return to the Vuelta with Jumbo’s triple ace. VanAert will take on the role Roglic.