Wout Van Aert announced the details of his training ride on Tuesday, declaring that the pain in his knee was gone.

When he sat down with the media on Wednesday to discuss his Tour de France ambitions, things were less clear, and the Belgian himself was quite pessimistic.

When asked whether the problem was worse on a road bike or a time trial bike, or sitting in the saddle or not, his answer was clear.

"Everything about pedaling isn't much better," he chuckled.

Not words that supported his own outlook on a race that would require him to pedal for 21 consecutive stages. His kneecap injury, which forced him to miss the Belgian championships after colliding with a handlebar during a recent training camp, has apparently healed, but it is still on his mind.

First of all, he had been running clean in the Grande Parle in Copenhagen, but this breakdown ruined it.

"If this were ideal preparation, everyone would take a week off the bike before the Tour, but no one is doing that," Van Aert noted.

"Mentally it's not the easiest way to go into the Tour, but as always I want to give 100%."

Besides, there is a question mark over whether the problem has been fully resolved, and the pain could recur as the Tour passes through Denmark and heads around France.

"I listened to my body and fortunately I don't feel the pain anymore, but I need to be careful every day. It's definitely not an ideal situation."

Van Aat, who is aiming for the green jersey at this year's Tour, will look at one stage at a time where points, if not victory, are possible. First, a short time trial around Copenhagen on Friday would normally pose the biggest threat to world champion Filippo Ganna.

"A stage win and the yellow jersey on the first day were my main goals for the season," Ganna said. I've spent a lot of time on the TT bike and worked really hard, and I'm looking forward to getting back on the bike and winning the yellow jersey."

"I don't know if I'll be in top form on Friday. I just hope that this short effort doesn't completely erase the months of training I've been putting in."

VanArt explained that his knee injury was more affected by the time trial bike, but the increased kilometerage was definitely the biggest limiting factor.

"When I stand on the pedals, there is less tension because of the angle of my knees. The most friction was in the deep squat, where there was an impact on the top of the kneecaps.

"That said, the TT bike probably hurts more, but it's the long rides that hurt the most this week. The longer I pedal, the more stress I put on my knee."

So Van Aat starts the Tour de France prepared for pain and a little unsure of himself. And it doesn't stop there. In two recent races, his team has suffered a COVID-19 outbreak, and this morning his captain, Merijn Zeeman, tested positive.

Ultimately, it was the nonverbal answer that perhaps best described it. Van Art raised his hand and tapped the wooden desk in front of him.