“He’s had a lot of setbacks recently, but each time he’s come back” - Wout van Aert's wife on why Visma star remains Flanders’ most beloved rider
Cycling
Few riders in modern cycling command the kind of emotional backing Wout van Aert receives on Flemish roads, and ahead of the 2026 Tour of Flanders, that connection was once again clear.
Among the crowds in Antwerp before the start was Sarah De Bie, Van Aert’s wife, offering a glimpse into why the Visma rider continues to draw such unwavering support, even in an era defined by multiple superstars.
“People also see how human Wout is,” she said in conversation with VTM Nieuws. “He’s had a lot of setbacks recently, but each time he’s come back. People like to see that.”
That sense of resilience has become central to Van Aert’s identity in the peloton. While others arrive at the Tour of Flanders with dominant runs of form or clear tactical superiority, Van Aert’s story has often been shaped by adversity, followed by response.
A connection that goes beyond results
The scale of support for Van Aert in Flanders is not simply tied to victories. Instead, it reflects a deeper connection built over time, one that has only strengthened through difficult moments.
“Hopefully the coin finally falls our way,” De Bie added, a line that captures both the expectation and the frustration that has followed Van Aert through recent seasons.
Despite consistently being among the strongest riders in the biggest races, the defining win in the Tour of Flanders has remained elusive. Yet rather than diminishing his standing, that near-miss narrative has arguably reinforced his bond with the Flemish public. There is a recognition not just of what he achieves, but of how he gets there.
Belief without illusion
That support does not come from blind optimism. Within Van Aert’s inner circle, there is a clear understanding of the level required to win this race. “If you don’t believe in your chances, you shouldn’t be at the start,” De Bie said. “He’s smart enough to know that others might be better, but he’s not starting with the mindset of finishing second or third.”
It is a balance between realism and ambition that mirrors Van Aert’s approach heading into the Ronde. He lines up among the favourites, but within a generation where the margins at the very top remain exceptionally fine.
The Tour of Flanders amplifies everything, and for Van Aert, that includes the expectation of a nation. Yet as De Bie’s words underline, it is precisely his resilience and humanity that continue to define his place at the heart of it.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 2visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Thats only cause he rides for UAE. In any other team he would be captain in many races atleast. UAE is just to crazymiguel06-11-2026
- He seems to be the rare athlete whose passion and curiosity about life beyond his sport equals his extraordinary achievements in it. It would be great for him to risk less of that life. He seems very grateful and joyful for what he has already attained.
MarkFour06-11-2026 - As much as I admire and even revere Wout, the less I know about his backside the better.MidnightRider06-11-2026
- Ok, Walt 🤣... Vingegaard would be lucky to get on the poduim. He would not beat Seixas or Del Toro, let alone TP. Then there are the Americans...BD06-11-2026
- So, for starters. Cycling is a saturated, static/dying sport in traditional lands, it will not have resurgences like eg running occasionally does because of several obstacular (yes, I know that’s not a word but don’t make me point out the obvious at your expense) factors. Obviously, like almost everything involving money, there is a desire/need/advantage to growth and that can only come from (developing or just testing) new markets. For me, the WC is the obvious and best choice for several reasons, it comes at the end of the season so is less critical season risk wise, it is not a “pro” team race but nation based which makes integration of uncommon participation more natural. It is a vehicle for redistribution (one of a very limited number of available mechanisms to develop new markers fairly) that the fixed calendar doesn’t allow and it helps make budgets fairer over the long run (moving the whole circus to everywhere evens out everyone’s budget as opposed to having everyone always come to the same location.Jumpyjohn06-11-2026
- Sad that a more refreshing article like this, which could generate discussion in a number of directions, gets completely ignored for the importance of debating the level of superiority of one rider into every single last detail, including a majority of totally hypothetical ones. People complain there is no news in the off season and it’s boring but don’t realise how boring it is to review the same old discussion over and over again, several times a day. In fact, you’d almost think this was a rider fan website. Instead of complaining about the FREE (as long as you pay attention to data use if not unlimited coz this site consumes almost as much for loading Youtube) content, the presence of cv of authors (for the missed obvious reason that it makes it easier to insert extra advertising without changing formats), the lack of quality/checking and depth of articles, why not also think about the content, quality and variety of posts that everyone can contribute to? The platform becomes irrelevant when discussion is interesting.Jumpyjohn06-11-2026
- UAE Team Emirates and Pogačar will officially unveil their objectives at the team’s media day, which will take place on December 18 in Benidorm, Spain. New information from the UAE Team: Exceptional recovery remains the cornerstone of success for the Slovenian cannibal-Pogi, whose sporting manager, Matxin, believes he will be even better in 2027 than he has been over the past three seasons.PogiSloFans06-11-2026
- Yeh, but he didn't and RE beat Pog & Del T 👍
leedorney06-11-2026 - Just my opinionleedorney06-11-2026
- Great win.However will the world champions jersey be simply a domestic for the season which will some what tarnish the jersey. I hope he is given free rein to try and win some races.paultryan200206-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment