Wout van Aert to miss Strade Bianche as illness delays his road season, will begin campaign at Tirreno-Adriatico

Updated 27/02/2023 at 16:03 GMT

Jumbo-Visma’s Wout van Aert has announced he will skip Strade Bianche after suffering from an illness earlier this month, which affected his training and subsequently has pushed back the start of his road season. He will instead race at Tirreno-Adriatico, which begins on March 6. Stream top cycling action, including the spring Classics season, live on discovery+ and eurosport.com

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Wout van Aert has revealed he will miss Saturday’s Strade Bianche after “not feeling very well” earlier this month.

The Jumbo-Visma rider will instead start his 2023 road campaign at Tirreno-Adriatico, which runs from March 6-12.

In the Belgian's absence, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal–Quick-Step) will be among the favourites to triumph on the famous white gravel roads of Tuscany.

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“Unfortunately, I was not feeling very well for several days last week during the start of my training camp here in Tenerife,” Van Aert said in a video message on social media.

“Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad and I felt better shortly after. However, it affected my training.

“After taking a break following the Cyclo-cross World Championships, I again lost a few training days in preparation for the season.

“We decided it’s better to stay at altitude longer and I can reach my best shape possible for Tirreno-Adriatico. We think it’s not possible to perform at my best in Strade Bianche."

Van Aert had a busy winter as he went up against Van der Poel and Pidcock in several cyclo-cross races, finishing second to the Dutch rider at the World Championships.

He will likely use Tirreno-Adriatico to get into shape for the Monuments, beginning with Milan–San Remo on March 18, before taking on the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liege–Bastogne–Liege in April.

“I want to win but that’s not possible right now,” Van Aert continued. “I need a bit more time, but sometimes changing the plans is necessary. That’s how things are.

“For the upcoming Flemish spring Classics I am in good spirits. I’m looking forward to seeing my fans by the roadside again soon.”

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Stream top cycling action, including the spring Classics season, live on discovery+ and eurosport.com

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