With a high-altitude training camp in March, Van Aert has once again specifically prepared for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. The Belgian is in good form and looks forward to one of the most important races of the year. "The Tour of Flanders is always a highlight of my season. The history, the course, the fans—Flanders remains incredibly special to race as a Belgian. This year, I’ve once again peaked towards the cobbled Monuments, and I believe we showed in Dwars door Vlaanderen last Wednesday—despite the disappointing outcome—that as a team, we are ready to fight."

The highly versatile rider from Belgium starts as one of the outsiders on Sunday. "For me, it’s new to go into the Tour of Flanders without the status of an absolute favorite. That doesn’t change the fact that both I and the rest of the team are extremely motivated to make it a great race on Sunday."

Alongside Van Aert, Jorgenson is one of Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s key riders. The American looks back on a remarkable 2024 edition, where he showed himself early in the race. "Because Wout crashed beforehand, we had to change our plans. I was racing for victory but blew up chasing Mathieu van der Poel. This year, I want to make it as far into the final as possible again. We’ll see what that brings. I’ve already had a long spring campaign, but I’m still highly motivated. I think with Wout, Tiesj Benoot, Dylan van Baarle, Per Strand Hagenes, and myself, we have multiple options to play a key role in this race."

Last Wednesday, Team Visma | Lease a Bike also used that strength in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Despite an impressive team performance, they were left disappointed. "Of course, Dwars door Vlaanderen was a big disappointment”, comments head of racing Grischa Niermann. “When you dominate a race like that, execute the plan almost perfectly, and arrive at the finish with three riders against just one competitor, you have to win. But after that disappointment, we’ve also taken the time to reflect on the positives. We executed our plan to take control of the race early and attack perfectly, imposing our will on the peloton. That’s what we stand for, and that’s what we should remember from Wednesday."

However, Niermann acknowledges that the Tour of Flanders is a different story. "The race and the competition in Flanders are much tougher. We don’t have the top favorite in our team, so we need to use our collective strength. We’re confident we can play our role. Everyone is in good shape—from Edoardo Affini and Tosh Van der Sande to Matteo and Wout. The Tour of Flanders is one of the most beautiful races of the year and always one of our main goals. Everyone is looking forward to making it a great race."

The Tour of Flanders course covers no less than 270 kilometers. This year, the race starts in Bruges and finishes, as always, in Oudenaarde. Van Aert, Jorgenson, Benoot, Van Baarle, Hagenes, Affini, and Van der Sande will have to tackle sixteen climbs and seven cobbled sectors on Sunday.