Wout van Aert is working his role in the Tour de France quite well so far, having proven a key figure in Jumbo-Visma's attack on stage 6. Whilst Tadej Pogacar was able to neutralize the strategic move, the Belgian keeps seeking the stage win which has been a goal throughout the first week.
“A story appeared in a newspaper that we as Belgians should rub our hands with such a rider. Sure, but you can also turn it around and wrap it as a question," Hans Vandeweghe wrote in a column for De Morgen. "Isn't Van Aert way too good to get so worked up for a pale Dane (Jonas Vingegaard, ed.) who only wins competitions because his watts per kilogram of body weight (and his VO2max and his cycling economy) are simply higher/more favorable than that of any other rider in the Tour?”
In the opening two days Jumbo-Visma put in quite a lot of resources for a sprint win with van Aert, on stage 2 particularly it came up just short due to a late attack from Victor Lafay. On a few stages now he's sprinted but came up short of a stage victory, whilst on the Pyrenees he attacked and played a role in the team's GC ambitions which is the priority.
“Van Aert has too much class to jump away from behind the red car of the race director at kilometer zero like the first baroudeur. Van Aert is too good for the Oscar for the Special Effects in this Tour, also known as that insane prize of the fighting spirit. Van Aert is not a master domestique, he is a master and they should not be servants, even if they are paid millions for it. What should he do then?"
Vandeweghe displays the nationalist feeling towards van Aert in this Tour, something which has gained some prominence within Belgian fans where there is a big debate on the role the 28-year old should have in the Tour. Officially he's chasing stage wins and helping Vingegaard with the fight for the yellow jersey, he is not chasing green and is conserving his energy in some stages in order to reach the World Championships afterwards in good form.
“Specialists in his team claim that he cannot win the Tour with this weight. Don't you dare contradict them. Anyone who claims the contrary has certainly never progressed beyond the introduction to the physiology of cycling. Yet it is a shame, throwing with power, proliferating with immense talent, what the classy Wout van Aert does to give color to his own Tour. It is hoped for him that Sarah (De Bie, his wife, ed.) will give birth sooner than calculated and he can go home. It will benefit his World Championships," he concluded.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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🇫🇷 #TDF2023 Your victory will come, Wout! 🤝
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