"That was when I knew: stay on the wheel" - Wout Van Aert runs through tactics against Tadej Pogacar and special motivation
Cycling
For many different reasons, yesterday's victory at Paris-Roubaix was very special to Wout Van Aert. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider long looked to win the third monument of the spring, and did so in a day where drama was constant throughout the final hours of racing.
The Belgian had his mishaps, with a badly timed mechanical in the final 70 kilometers, but not as bad as the ones that Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel had earlier in the race. He pushed in Arenberg and Mons-en-Pévèle, splitting the favourites' group twice, but after that second attack he had the response of a Pogacar that still had the legs to make a difference.
“That was the moment I decided to stay on his wheel on the cobblestones, so that I wouldn't be attacked from behind anymore. In that corner, I realized for a moment why Tadej is the strongest man in the entire peloton," Van Aert said in an interview with Wielerflits. "It was a good attack from him that I could only just respond to. That was when I knew: stay on the wheel.”
He looked to collaborate with the World Champion, however he did so more conservatively than Mathieu van der Poel did the week before. But without the climbs, Pogacar now struggled to make the difference, and the two had to bet on a sprint otherwise they would be caught by the chasers.
"After Carrefour [de l'Arbre], the realization hit me: from then on, I truly believed that this could be my year. That was when I knew that when it comes down to a sprint in a race like this, anything can happen".
"Did I feel stronger than ever? Not really. It would be a nice story to say that now, but the truth is that I felt very good in other years too. But then the circumstances didn't fall my way. But that knowledge did give me what I needed to finish it off this time.”
Special motivation due to his history with the race
This is a race that also has a lot of meaning for him, as he lost his teammate Michael Goolaerts back in the duo's debut in 2018. It is something that always stayed with him and provided a little extra.
“Losing a teammate in a race… It was an extremely sad day in 2018. Personally, I rode a good race back then; I felt that Roubaix was something that really suited me. But at the same time, something so cruel happened. Since then, it has been my goal to win this race and be able to point my finger to the sky for Michael".
He's done so this time around, sprinting to victory in the Roubaix velodrome, where often he arrived frustrated with the result. "He is often in my thoughts, especially every year around this time. This year even more so than usual. For me, it was the first edition where we rode past the sector where he died again".
During the reconnaissance, I already got goosebumps when we passed it. I like to believe that Michael gave me a little extra strength on Sunday. It is something good and beautiful that I can dedicate this victory to him and his family. We are trying to get the flowers there. His family can decide where they will be placed.”
Visma's big goal accomplished
In January, Team Visma | Lease a Bike announced they would put more emphasis on the monuments as a whole, not just the cobbled ones. Wout Van Aert rode a different calendar and at Milano-Sanremo he made it onto the podium. As it turns out, he carried his form perfectly throughout the spring and has his best legs once again this Sunday.
The team has won its monnument, in a year where its lineup for the classics seemingly looked more modest. “It feels like a huge relief. I know that this was Richard Plugge’s dream, to win Paris-Roubaix. I can understand that I was always the one who had to do it in the last editions".
"I feel proud to finally complete that work of years of investment," he admits. "But also the work of the guys who stood at the start line with me. We were right on top of it, certainly with Christophe Laporte in the final and also behind him. A very good day for us.” It's a day that shrugs away a lot of pressure which has built up throughout the past few years, in which Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel took an overwhelming leap in the classics.
“I am filled with pride. Winning Paris-Roubaix means everything to me. We make so many sacrifices to reach this level. To always fight back, with the goal every year of winning the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. To then finish it off like this in a sprint with Tadej Pogacar in his beautiful rainbow jersey as world champion… I don’t think there is a better way to do that. It is absolutely a dream come true.”
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.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 76visitors 22
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
Loading
2 Comments