Wout van Aert 's dream of taking the pink jersey in the opening stages of the Giro d'Italia in Albania this weekend is turning into a tougher challenge than expected. The Belgian champion, who has already worn the leader's jerseys at the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, had hoped to complete his collection of Grand Tour jerseys, but a viral infection has complicated his plans.

In a press release from Visma-Lease a Bike, the pink jersey was mentioned as a defined objective   for van Aert. However, during the team presentation in Tirana, the rider was much less optimistic.

"Unfortunately I got sick last week," he explained to reporters, "I didn't have the best preparation. Apart from yesterday, I haven't been able to do any quality training since the Amstel Gold Race."

The Belgian runner admitted he was still uncertain about his condition, having to constantly modify his training program due to the viral infection.

"The pink jersey has become more of a dream than a reality in recent weeks. The intention was to be at the top from day one, but now I consider that possibility much more remote."

Sports director Marc Reef confirmed that the team still has ambitious goals for the Giro, aiming for stage wins with van Aert and Olav Kooij, while Simon Yates will focus on the general classification. Van Aert does not rule out the possibility of growing during the race, but the possibility of taking home the pink jersey will probably have to wait for another season.

Sprint Cycling Photo