The reigning champion says his Tirreno-Adriatico time trial win gives him confidence for the first Monument of the season
has marked out Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe and Sam Bennett as key rivals in the 2021 this weekend.
The reigning champion in the Italian Monument is confident in his form ahead of the 299k race on Saturday (March 20), having won the final time trial in and finishing second overall.
Van Aert, 26, is once again wary of his great rival (Alpecin-Fenix) after his devastating attacks to win Strade Bianche earlier this month, but the Jumbo-Visma leader also picked out Deceuninck – Quick-Step stars and Sam Bennett as riders to watch.
On whether Van der Poel may launch an ambitious attack like his unforgettable win on stage five of Tirreno, Van Aert said: “ I