Wout Van Aert will return to the Milan-Sanremo after a two-year absence. The Team Visma Lease a Bike rider is not shying away and declares he'll race to win.

The Belgian certainly isn't starting out as the favorite, with Van der Poel and Pogacar looking set to dominate the race like last year since the Cipressa, but Wout is confident in the excellent feelings he's had in the races he's taken on so far, after a Strade Bianche and a Tirreno-Adriatico, albeit without any particular highlights.

The 1994-born rider won his only career Monument right on Via Roma in 2020 and has an excellent feeling with the Spring Classicissima, having never left the top ten in the 5 editions he has contested: in addition to the 2020 victory, in fact, the Belgian has achieved two third places (2021-2023), a 6th (2019) and an 8th (2022).

Van Aert also admitted that his victory rate has decreased recently, but despite this he will face the Classics season with optimism and above all with a lot of grit .