Belgian superstar Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) confirmed that he will apply a different strategy to the upcoming Classic season, but insisted that his team is also taking a new, more thorough approach to these races.

Regardless of where they ultimately appear on the pandemic-affected 2020 and 2021 calendars, over the past two years, Van Aat has in various races such as Strade Bianche, Milan - San Remo, Amstel Gold, Paris - Roubaix, and Ghent - Wevelgem, He has sometimes won, and almost always shone.

But for all his personal success, the Belgian told the media at Tuesday's Jumbo Visma press day.

It was already known that he would miss the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in the US, but Van Aert added on Tuesday that 2020 winner Strade Bianche would also miss the event.

"In the past spring campaign, I was in good shape early on, but then I started to lose it. It took me a while to recover between races."

"That was one of the reasons I didn't compete in the World Cyclocross Championships or the Strade Bianche, so I switched from Tirreno-Adriatico to Paris-Nice for the first time.

Van Aert will also compete in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (where he finished a career-best 11th in 2020), "mainly as preparation for later this year," he said. Nieuwsblad will be his first competition of the season, so it will be very difficult to be in good shape there."

Even for an experienced Classics star like Van Art, the learning process about one-day races is an ongoing one.

"I've found that there is a big difference between the longest classics and the 200km events," explained Van Aert, who won last year's Amstel Gold by a narrow margin over Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers).

"Sprinting in a long race is not explosive. So it can be a surprise result, where on paper you would expect the fastest rider to win. But in fact it's the opposite."

Aside from what the final results of the season will be, Van Aert also explained that Jumbo Visma is trying to apply the same detailed approach to the Classics campaign that has worked so well in the Tour de France in recent years.

"For example, we have already done reconnaissance in several races this year, with more emphasis on using different equipment. We are discussing strategies and different possibilities to improve our team spirit."

"Last year we met for the first time on race day, like "this is the program, these are the members who will run", and we wanted to improve that in 2022."

"We have a lot more experience with the team, and we have a lot more experience with the team.

Looking further ahead, it was suggested to Van Aert that he could harmonize his Tour de France strategy by riding with teammate Primoš Roglic in Paris-Nice, with Roglic competing in yellow and Van Aert in green. However, Van Aert found the suggestion interesting but ultimately rejected it.

"I'm not that interested in the Paris-Nice points jersey, and it would be silly to chase it just to test our collaboration," Van Aert said. But it is true that we have to calculate exactly how we will tackle the Tour. In any case, I've proven in the past that I can aim for my own goal and the team leader's race at the same time."

Van Aert also told Belgian media that he and Remco Evenpol (Quick-Step Alphavinil) will meet to tie up loose ends from last year's World Championships.

"We'll work things out over coffee," he claimed. After this, Van Art will no doubt focus all his energy on a new approach to the Spring Classic and beyond, rather than the great upsets of the past.