Wout van Aert aiming for Strade Bianche podium hat-trick

The one-day race in Italy will take place on August 1, and Belgian website Sporza reports that their countryman will be challenging in the event.

The 25-year-old rider has twice taken third place at the Italian event. The first came in third 2018 behind Tiesj Benoot and Romain Bardet, while in 2019 he again finished third, this time behind Julian Alaphilippe and Jakob Fuglsang.

Van Aert had a strong start to 2019 when he finished second in the E3 BinckBank Classic and winning two stages at the Criterium du Dauphine. He also won stage 10 of the Tour de France and claimed the Belgian time trial title.

However his good form was interrupted by a serious crash in the Tour de France, injuring his hip and thigh, with the coronavirus pandemic holding back his recovery.