"I basically gave myself cramps for nothing" - Wout van Aert didn't realise he'd dropped Tadej Pogacar during famous Montmartre stage win at Tour de France

Wout van Aert’s solo victory on the Champs-Élysées last month was already destined for the highlight reel. But as the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider reveals in his team’s Tour de France documentary, the triumph came with a surprising twist: he had no idea he’d dropped Tadej Pogacar on Montmartre — or that the win was virtually sealed.

It’s not every day you see Pogacar crack — especially not in the yellow jersey, and certainly not on the final climb of the Tour de France. But the 2025 edition of La Grande Boucle offered just such a rarity on its unconventional Parisian finale. With the general classification already neutralised due to heavy rain, many riders opted for caution on the treacherously slick urban circuit. Not Van Aert. Nor Pogacar. And certainly not on Montmartre.

With 6 kilometres to go, on the final ascent of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre — a cobbled climb that doubled as part of the 2024 Olympic road race route — Van Aert launched a searing acceleration that left even Pogacar behind. What followed was a solo masterclass through the streets of Paris, culminating with Van Aert storming down the Champs-Élysées and over the line, arms raised, alone.

Yet behind the power and poise was chaos. As Van Aert recounts in the team’s behind-the-scenes footage, the defining move of his Tour almost fell apart before it began. “I was riding near the back of the group,” he recalls. “Suddenly, I got bumped and nearly went down. At that exact moment, I saw Jorgenson and Campenaerts moving up the front. I just thought, ‘Oh no, this is going to look ridiculous if I get dropped while they’re going full gas for me up there.’”

Realising the danger of being caught out, Van Aert had to burn precious matches simply to get back into position before the final launch. “I was shouting into the radio that I was out of position the whole time,” he says with a laugh. “It took a lot just to get to the front.”

But once he got there, Van Aert didn’t look back — or so he thought. The Belgian powered over Montmartre, leaving Pogacar and the rest to scramble in vain. Yet even as he surged clear, he remained unaware of just how decisive the move had been. “I was super nervous. All I could hear in my earpiece was shouting, so I just assumed they were right behind me. I didn’t dare ease off.”

In reality, no one was within reach. The motorbikes were the only thing chasing him now — and he didn’t realise it. “It wasn’t until the final straight that I looked back and saw I had a 500-metre gap. I basically gave myself cramps for nothing by riding that hard,” he said, laughing. “I could’ve just cruised to the line. But of course, it was all worth it.”

The win capped an emotional return for Van Aert, whose 2025 season had been disrupted by injuries and personal setbacks earlier in the year. The stage was his first Tour victory of the summer — and perhaps his most iconic yet.

For fans and pundits alike, it was a reminder of Van Aert’s extraordinary versatility. The fact he dropped Pogacar — on a climb, no less — only added to the mythos.

In a Tour that offered drama from start to finish, this stage on the rain-slicked streets of Paris, featuring cobbles, chaos, and a bit of comedy, may well go down as its most memorable.