Wout van Aert, the man of the Tour!

27/07/2022

He did not finish the Tour de France in yellow but all observers agree that the Belgian put in an extraordinary performance. The cyclist wearing the green jersey is the new record holder for points acquired during the Grande Boucle.

Not since the performances of the legendary Eddy Merckx has a Belgian rider been so successful in the Tour de France. Wout van Aert excelled in this 109th Tour, finishing with the green jersey after winning the fourth stage in Calais, the eighth stage in Lausanne, and finally the time trial in Rocamadour. Over three weeks, the Campine-based cyclist proved to be the most complete rider, not showing any weaknesses, and above all allowing his teammate, the Dane Vingegaard, to win through his dedication.

According to the French newspaper L'Équipe, "The post-Tour blues will include a paradox, as the main man of the Tour de France did not win it. Van Aert was the strongest."

For Le Figaro: "Sprinting, attacking, punching. From a distance or at the end of a sprint. The Belgian was remarkable in the time trial and in the mountains, abandoning Pogačar to helping Vingegaard majestically. Phenomenal. Van Aert proved that he was perhaps the most complete rider in the peloton."

"Without Wout van Aert as a first-class teammate, Jonas Vingegaard would not have won the Tour", said the Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad.

According to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, "Stage after stage, the 27-year-old Belgian continued to do what suits him best: attack. It was as if his power never ran out. As if there were several van Aerts in the race. The best images of the Tour are of him... He is not a sprinter, nor a time-trialist nor a racing cyclist. He is all these things at the same time. An ultra complete cyclist of the kind we have not seen since Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merckx."

Many believe that the Belgian has a great chance of winning in the future, if he wants to!