"Whether he wins or loses, he will always be on the front page” - Michel Wuyts suggests Wout van Aert is 'too popular' for his own good
Cycling
Although Wout van Aert wasn't able to massively feature in the finale of either Omloop Het Nieuwsblad or Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne on Opening Weekend, the Belgian superstar of Team Visma | Lease a Bike continues to be one of the most talked about riders following the action. According to the experienced Belgian cycling expert Michel Wuyts, Van Aert might be too popular for his own good.
On the latest episode of the Wuyts & Vlaeminck podcast, the topic of Van Aert's quiet start to the 2025 road season was approached. In eight race days so far this year, Van Aert has a 2nd place from the Volta ao Algarve time trial, but not much else to shout about. Nevertheless, the 30-year-old remains on of the riders most hyped ahead of any race where he starts, bringing big support but also big pressure.
"Since the Cyclocross World Championships, something he does has been magnified every day," notes former Belgian national coach Sven Vanthourenhout. "You would think that Wout would be used to that by now and that he could handle it, but the tension is still building towards that opening weekend. And if you don't fully meet expectations, that can weigh on you."
“He is too popular,” Wuyts nods in agreement, recalling a notable example of the immense attention Van Aert receives, especially in Belgium. “I still remember what I experienced last year on the starting podium of the E3 Saxo Classic. Mathieu van der Poel got a deafening applause, but with Van Aert it was a times five. I am also convinced that he will get a bigger applause than Remco Evenepoel. He is by far the most popular.”
“Van Aert is a star, but also an underdog. He is two in one, and he has to deal with that," adds Wuyts in conclusion. "I asked him on stage: 'Does that stimulate you to give even more of yourself or is it the other way around?' He said that I should not ask him that question at that moment. He is struggling with that, isn't he? He is approached as a demigod. Whether he wins or loses, he will always be on the first cycling page.”
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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- 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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