Pedal Punditry #19 | I never celebrate someone's victory in cycling. For Wout van Aert, I sure did!

"This place is where my road career started back in 2018 and to win this stage after a long period without delivering. Finally again... It feels so good". Cycling has won today, as Wout van Aert rode to a brilliant and unexpected comeback victory at the Giro d'Italia's 'Strade Bianche' stage. A victory of determination; physical and psychological resilience.

Cycling is a sport in which a lot of people don't envision themselves as a fan of a specific team or rider, unlike many - or most - sports. Whilst fully a team sport, a lot of what lures me into it is the lack of the tribalism and hate that comes alongside this in most sports around. Combining that with an unexplainable attraction for endurance sports, in which effort and dedication are not only a necessity but an absolute must in order to just be part of the competition, I find myself enjoying cycling the most and only having negative emotions when the racing is well... Boring, with little action, or conservative racing. Simultaneously, loving days where it's not-stop action, such as today.

That has been the case in this Giro already. I was vocal on how I was dissatisfied with the outcome of stages 1, 3 and 5 of this race - all won by Mads Pedersen, coincidentally - due to the conservative nature of dozens of riders who had a chance of a strong result. Stages 3 and 5 specially lacked attacks in the finale, and hinted at a race that could be heading in the direction of the 2023 edition where most stages with climbing were ridden at pace, without attacks.

I rarely celebrate the victories of individual riders, or specifically cheer for a team regardless of who is present, but a few riders do capture my heart more than others. Maybe Wout van Aert is on the top of that list, the list of reasons goes along a whole spectrum I'd say.

1 - The most meaningful reason likely, is that van Aert - and let's face it, that is true - is treated like shit by a significant part of the cycling audience. This comes with the fact that he is Belgian, where cycling is king, has a lot of attention and media associated with it, meaning he is always on the spotlight - for good and bad. In Belgium, there is a more passionate culture regarding Van Aert, and his rivalry with Mathieu van der Poel. The fact that van der Poel has, in some occasions, been thrown beer or urine both in the road or cyclocross certainly doesn't help this. Even at Paris-Roubaix, van der Poel was thrown a Visma bidon at his face.

2 - Van Aert is not a rider of the level of van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, but for some reason he continues to be regarded as one. In the past this was the case, it then changed in 2023. Van der Poel, after moving to Spain, has been on an incredible streak without meaningful illnesses and injuries, besides enjoying good training weather year-round. He has been evolving constantly over the past two years. Van Aert hasn't, in the same way. He also hasn't evolved the same way Tadej Pogacar did, this doesn't require much explanation.

3 - In 2023 van Aert could've won Roubaix, but punctured as he attacked Van der Poel. In 2024 he suffered the massive crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen (which meant he lost another year of racing in the cobbles), and then again at the Vuelta a España. Huge physical setbacks, which prevent a constant evolution, but above all psychologically the constant large obstacles take a toll. Yet he recovered once again to his very best level with a perfect preparation towards the cobbled monuments. In both, he lost the sprint for the podium and finished specifically in first outside the podium in both. At this point in his career, although he continues to perform as strongly, winning a monument again - specially in the cobblestones - does begin to look very difficult.

4 - He does get clowned on quite a lot, obviously due to the tactical failure of Dwars door Vlaanderen, where he attempted to win the sprint and took the consequences. At Brabantse Pijl his defeat against Remco Evenepoel was not shocking, the uphill sprint against Evenepoel would never be easy, but specially at the end of a brutal race where he was 'cooked'. His form in the spring classics was ideal, and in the Giro he had a chance to make up for the lack of wins. He came down ill beforehand, and lost his form completely. All the chances to prove himself seemed to fade.

5 - In the opening weekend, all three stages were well suited to him. And in the first one, his form was not the best it was clear, but in the sprint he almost had it. But once again it was a close shot just outside the victory - one of many, many such occasions. The combination of the near-misses, the incomprehensible constant comparations with riders that are clearly above him, he is put in a standard that is unreachable for any rider but he is demanded just because of his name. The same way Remco Evenepoel was in the past almost driven to retirement over the impossible pressure put on his shoulders, the same could've easily happened with van Aert.

After stage 2 it was evident that van Aert was very far away from his best level. Over social media or the TV broadcast there were dramatic and very quick calls for him to abandon the race. Even though, as it was clear, what he needed were race days to improve his form. Even if he wouldn't reach it, he would always be a valuable domestique for Olav Kooij and Simon Yates. Van Aert has indeed been struggling with positioning, that is now his main issue, and comes as a result of his family situation but above all the constant increase in risks taken in the peloton.

For most he was done even. I believed he would reach his best level but likely only in the final week, perhaps in the second. I never would've expected this to still happen in the first, and it was a surprise to see him present in the front group this Sunday when INEOS Grenadiers split the peloton to bits and only a few riders remained out front. In a route where the climbs reached close to 20%, a rider of such weight will always struggle to match the climbers, but van Aert showed today his greatest talent - versatility.

Besides the terrific bike handling skills, van Aert has shown his endurance capacity and his climbing legs. Mind you this is a classics specialist, who thrives in the time-trials and used to thrive in the sprints. On paper, a rider out of his element, but not one who dominates any race to the point of removing the excitement from it.

Last August I was able to see the finale of a Grand Tour stage for the first time in my life, in Castelo Branco at La Vuelta. The victor on the day was Van Aert in the red jersey, and it served as a reminder of some of his best performances such as the 2022 Tour de France win in yellow at Calais. 'Jack of all trades, master of none' describes a few riders in the peloton. Van Aert is a master of all trades, but not the best in any. But he is close to the best in all, when at his best level, and this had him become one of the most entertaining riders in modern cycling.

So when he was able to match Isaac del Toro at the iconic Via Santa Caterina, and then overtook him in the street right above it, I celebrated, and cheered him on. It is a victory of someone who's beaten to the ground constantly, given unreasonable expectations and then criticized for not reaching them, and it's a victory on one of the most iconic race days of the year and in one of the most special locations in the sport. One of the most deserved, one of the most memorable, and one where I also sighed of relief because a rider of his value should be regarded as such. Not above what he actually is, not below. A victory that shuts down years of undeserved criticism.

Siena is the location of many beautiful moments in cycling's modern history and although it was not at Strade Bianche, today was another one.