Wout van Aert finished fifth in Wednesday’s prologue of the Deutschland Tour, but the Belgian admitted he might have done better if not for a fall during the course recon. The Visma – Lease a Bike rider thankfully wasn’t hurt, but the incident slightly altered his approach to the 3.1-km TT in Essen. “It definitely shook my confidence a bit in the corners. Where I’d normally feel strong, I lost some time today,” he said to Sporza.
Despite the setback, Van Aert ended up just two seconds behind winner Søren Wærenskjold—a result he could accept given the circumstances.
“It’s a result I can live with,” Van Aert said. “It was short but tough. The course was extremely fast, where details made all the difference. I think I rode a solid prologue, but I never had the feeling along the way that I was on track for the fastest time.”
As far as the crash beforehand, he did admit it shook him up a bit. “The corners that usually suit me cost me time,” Van Aert said.
There are no Canadians racing in Germany, but on Saturday the Vuelta a España begins and there are two racing. Check back with Canadian Cycling Magazine for photos and reports after every stage.
Looking ahead, Van Aert is focused on the upcoming stages. “The next few days should be very interesting. There are good opportunities—not just for me, but also for Matthew Brennan. I’m looking forward to chasing results together with him.”
The young English star has had a standout season in his first year as a WorldTour rider. In 2024, he rode for the Visma – Lease a Bike development squad. But since riding in the majors, he’s had multiple wins, including recently at the Tour du Pologne.
Stage 1 of the Deutschland Tour is a flat stage from Essen to Herford for a total of 202.6km.
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