'Phenomenal Wout van Aert can win a Tour, he's hot property' - Bradley Wiggins

ByDan Quarrell

Updated 18/09/2020 at 07:35 GMT

In the latest episode of his podcast, Bradley Wiggins is full of praise for the prodigious talent Wout van Aert, and believes the Belgian can win a Tour de France title. He believes Van Aert is hot property in cycling and Jumbo-Visma will have to work hard to keep him.

Bradley Wiggins, speaking on the latest episode of his podcast, lauds Wout van Aert and says he believes the Jumbo-Visma star will win a Tour de France title.

The 26-year-old has been used as a super-domestique in support of general classification leader Primoz Roglic in this Tour, and has again demonstrated his outrageous all-round talents.

But Wiggins is adamant that he can offer more if allowed to lead himself and is certain he could win a Tour title. Not only that, but the 2012 champion suspects there will be many other teams clamouring to tempt him away from Jumbo-Visma at the next opportunity.

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"He is phenomenal," Wiggins said on the podcast. "I mean, he has been phenomenal, and he seems to be getting better every day as well.

If there is any question of, can this guy win a Grand Tour in the future? Of course he can. He could probably win this one if he wanted to!

"To come in after this amount of races and all the work he has done. All the talk about Adam Yates going to Ineos and can he win a Grand Tour, maybe it's his moment.

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There aren't enough Grand Tours to go around for cycling's talented new generation - Wiggins

"He [Van Aert] is still 26 and he has come here to help the team and win stages and he is there. He is phenomenal, I keep running out of words.

"I think the big question now," Wiggins said, moving to the subject of Van Aert's future, "is how long is it going to be until Patrick Lefevere tries to take him?

"After the season he has had, and whenever his contract is up, Jumbo are going to want to keep him I think but he is hot property now in cycling."

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