Wout van Aert looks optimistically towards the Giro d'Italia starting next week, with his goal being to win stage victories, as well as the points classification for the best sprinter.

When the Flemish rider announced his participation in the pink race, he immediately recalled his collection of jerseys won in various stage races and noted that the pink jersey was still missing from his list. Van Aert will immediately target the stages in Albania and aim to take the first pink jersey of the race, which could come right from the first stage. For the Belgian, there's also the matter of the cyclamen jersey, which is currently a secondary objective, but with the awareness that it could become an opportunity if he wins some sprint stages. Spring hasn't brought success to Van Aert, and many have wondered what was happening to the Visma-Lease a Bike rider.

The Flemish rider was beaten by Remco Evenepoel in a two-man sprint at the Brabant Arrow and had to settle once again for a podium spot at the Amstel Gold Race. Fourth, just like in the two previous Sundays at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. In short, there wasn't much to celebrate for him. But Van Aert is a rider who knows how to quickly recover psychologically, and we've seen him fall and then get back up and win again many times.

Some think the Belgian has lost part of his explosiveness and can no longer keep up with Pogacar and Van der Poel, while others believe the problem lies in the tactics used during races, such as the intention to participate in every sprint of the races he's in, thus using too much energy.

While waiting to find the exact answer, let's return to the Giro d'Italia, where Van Aert arrives with good sensations, but won't race for the general classification. After the Classics season and taking stock of the situation, Van Aert didn't want to waste time and after a few days of rest spent with his family, he immediately got to work to perform well in the pink race. "Few days are left," the Belgian had recalled at the end of his Classics season, "so there's no time to waste and we must work".

The Belgian really needs to win in the pink race because he was supposed to come to Italy last year, but an accident at Through Flanders had ruined all his plans. In January, after the presentation of the Giro route, he was very satisfied, and the first week of the race, he had noted as the best for his ambitions.

"I was very happy when I saw the Giro route, and especially the start in Albania. Arriving in the best possible condition, this route really suits my characteristics. Wearing the pink jersey would be a dream and winning a stage would be truly fantastic."