Wout van Aert willingly gave up his chances of winning a stage at the Deutschland Tour to help his 20-year-old teammate Matthew Brennan. Van Aert is a strong rider with notable wins in the Giro and Tour, and he’s known for working as a domestique for his team.
Van Aert has done important work for riders like Simon Yates and Jonas Vingegaard in sprints. At the Deutschland Tour, he balanced trying his own chances with working for Brennan. On stage 3, van Aert led the front group into the final sprint to help Brennan fight for victory.
Van Aert said, “Matthew is our best chance of victory. It’s logical that we’re focusing on him.” This shows van Aert’s willingness to support his teammate over pursuing his own win chances. Van Aert’s actions highlight his team-oriented approach in racing.