"It could be an opportunity to stay close in the general classification the next day"—cautious phrasing, but the fact of the extra training volume targeted at this specific start signals where the priority lies. Two years ago, van Aert was already in red on day two of the Vuelta and finished the race with seven podiums, three of them stage wins. Vingegaard was behind him then. Now he isn't, and the opening time trial in Monaco becomes more than a chance to get on the board—it's the baseline for a week of GC positioning.