"He's just a great guy, a real class act": Bradley Wiggins names Wout van Aert as his favorite rider and previews the Tour de France

During a recent appearance at the Wattage Festival in Ostend, 2012 Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins shared his profound admiration for the sport's current generation, naming Wout van Aert as his ultimate favorite rider. Reflecting on the recent Giro d'Italia, the 46-year-old cycling legend analyzed Jonas Vingegaard's dominant Italian campaign, the crucial impact of super-domestique Victor Campenaerts, and the upcoming Tour de France prospects for both Remco Evenepoel and teenage talent Paul Seixas against Tadej Pogacar.

Participating in a live recording of The Move podcast alongside Johan Bruyneel and Spencer Martin, Wiggins emphasized that although his days of intense riding are behind him, his passion for professional cycling remains fully intact. When asked to identify his favorite figure in the modern peloton, the British champion did not hesitate.

"That has always been Wout van Aert, and it always will be," Wiggins declared. "Aesthetically, I think he is beautiful on the bike. Beyond that, he's just a great guy, a real class act."

Wiggins and Bruyneel looked back at the Giro d'Italia, which saw a resurgent Jonas Vingegaard take the overall victory. Wiggins believes the Dane's clear run of form puts him in an ideal position to challenge Tadej Pogacar in July.

"A great performance. Maybe this sets him up perfectly on the way to July and the battle with Pogacar," Wiggins noted. "The past few seasons he often had bad luck or came out of a difficult preparation. Now he seems better prepared than ever for that challenge."

Wiggins also highlighted the invaluable contributions of Victor Campenaerts, praising the Belgian's versatility as a critical asset for the team's Grand Tour ambitions. "Victor is doing impressive work. He is one of the best teammates in the world because he can play his role on any terrain."

Turning his attention to Belgium's primary yellow jersey hope, Remco Evenepoel, Wiggins acknowledged the steep hill the Belgian rider has to climb, given Pogacar's status as the absolute reference point in stage racing. However, he remains highly optimistic about Evenepoel's chances.

"It's going to be a difficult task for him, as it is for everyone. Pogacar is the man they all have to beat. Still, [Evenepoel] is a class act and is in a stronger team now. You always have to take Remco into account."

Finally, Wiggins talked about 19-year-old French prodigy Paul Seixas, who is slated to make his highly anticipated Grand Tour debut in July at the Tour de France.

"What he is already doing is impressive, but it will be his first Tour, so we have to be careful. Seixas will be up there, I think, but how long he can measure himself against riders like Pogacar and Vingegaard remains to be seen. Above all, we must not put too much pressure on him."

Before, Seixas is scheduled to ride the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, starting on Sunday 7. He'll face stiff competition at the stage race, however, as rivals such as Isaac Del Toro and Juan Ayuso spearhead a strong general classification field.