“The King thanked me on behalf of all Belgians... he said he was proud” - Wout van Aert earns royal seal of approval after historic Paris-Roubaix success
Cycling
The scale of Wout van Aert’s Paris-Roubaix victory was always going to stretch far beyond the velodrome in Roubaix. In the days that followed, the reaction spilled out across Belgium, from packed village squares to viral videos of celebrations that captured just how much the win resonated.
It even reached the very top. “I was surprised when I read a message during the night that the King wanted to call me,” Van Aert revealed to Sporza, reflecting on the aftermath of his triumph. The call came from King Philippe of Belgium, marking a rare moment where sporting success crossed directly into national recognition.
A call that captured the moment
What followed was not a long or elaborate exchange, but its meaning was clear. “The King thanked me on behalf of all Belgians for delivering that performance. He said he was proud.”
For a rider who has experienced the biggest stages in cycling, the moment still stood out. “I mainly listened. I didn’t really know what to say. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes I’m impressed too.”
The reaction speaks to the broader significance of the win. Paris-Roubaix is one of cycling’s defining races, but Van Aert’s victory carried added weight given the context of his career and the expectations that had built over recent seasons.
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A nation’s reaction
That sense of importance was reflected in the public response. Van Aert admitted he had been struck by the scale of the celebrations that followed, with supporters embracing the victory in ways that went far beyond the usual post-race reaction. “That I made so many people happy makes me happy.”
Among the many moments shared with him, one stood out in particular. “There’s one video I saved. In a village near us, supporters have had a bet running for years: if I ever won Roubaix, they would cycle naked around the church.”
Van Aert could only laugh at what that moment had sparked. “I’ve saved it on my phone. Show the video? I won’t do that to them. They’ll be shocked enough if they see this.”
Turning towards what comes next
Despite the scale of the celebrations, the focus has already begun to shift back to racing. Van Aert is under no illusion that one victory, even one as significant as Roubaix, cannot define the rest of his season. “I hope it works and that the Roubaix win wasn’t everything all at once. I’m still a cyclist and I still have a lot of motivation.”
That motivation is already being directed towards the coming months, with clear targets set. “From the Belgian Championships, I hope to be back in form. Especially the first weekend of the Tour is a very big goal for us as a team. If things go well there, I could be close to the yellow jersey. Those two things are definitely on my mind.”
Further ahead, the plan is equally clear. “I will ride the Vuelta as preparation for the World Championships. We’ll start there without a clear leader, but Matthew Brennan and I hope to win stages.”
A brief pause before the next push
Before that next phase begins, Van Aert has allowed himself a short reset. A recent bikepacking trip offered a break from structured training, even if it came with a caveat. “It wasn’t the most serious training, but I really enjoyed it.”
The return to full preparation is already scheduled. “Next week I leave for altitude training, then my preparation for the Tour really begins.”
A moment that reached beyond cycling
The call from the King, the scenes across Belgium, and the stories shared in the days after the race all point to something larger than a single result.
Paris-Roubaix may be one of cycling’s most prestigious prizes, but for Van Aert, this victory has taken on a different dimension. Not just as a Monument win, but as a moment that connected with a nation.
And as the reaction from Belgium’s highest office made clear, it was a performance that did not go unnoticed.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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