"Wout van Aert in the 2022 Tour de France was one of the greatest riders I've ever seen" - Michel Wuyts believes compatriot's brilliance is too easily forgotten

In a dramatic conclusion to the 2025 Giro d'Italia earlier this month, Wout van Aert played a key role in deciding the winner of the Maglia Rosa. The Belgian buried himself on the penultimate stage to help teammate Simon Yates complete a Visma tactical masterclass and secure the second Grand Tour win of his career. Despite the brilliance of Van Aert's performance on stage 20 however, it still pales in comparison to the Belgian's showing at the 2022 Tour de France.

At the aforementioned edition of the Tour, Van Aert was the key factor in deciding Jonas Vingegaard's overall victory ahead of Tadej Pogacar, whilst simultaneously winning three stages and the Green Jersey. "The Van Aert we saw in the 2022 Tour was one of the greatest riders I’ve ever seen," analyses the vastly experienced Belgian cycling expert Michel Wuyts in comments to Wieler Revue. "What Van Aert did in 2022 was borderline impossible — three stage wins, attacking every day for the green jersey, and doing more than his fair share of mountain work for Vingegaard. You almost wanted to beg him: 'Please, just take a day off!'"

As Van Aert has struggled to replicate such performances over recent years however, due to a variety of reasons including illness and injury, criticism of the Belgian has grown amongst some in the cycling world. Wuyts believes his compatriot's heroic showing in 2022 is too easily forgotten. "We live too much in the moment," he laments. "I blame the media, who rush to pass judgment the second a race ends. There needs to be more nuance."

As shown by his three stage wins at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana and the aforementioned decisive factor he proved to be on the penultimate stage of the 2025 Giro d'Italia, Van Aert still has plenty to offer in the biggest races on the cycling calendar.