"He really stands out in the peloton": Wout Van Aert's largest fan page is based in... Africa!

Wout van Aert's popularity far transcends the boundaries of the Old continent. The Belgian has many fans across the world, but you would never guess that his largest fan page on Facebook is based in... Nigeria! The West-African country doesn't even have it's own UCI race, but more than 30.000 people joined the group that cheers on the 31-year-old Wout van Aert.

Since its beginning, the page is run by a 27-year-old Nigerian microbiology student George Abada, one of Wout's most dedicated fans. "I used to be primarily a football fan, but my favorite club kept disappointing me," he told Sporza. "I switched to cycling, and Wout immediately appealed to me."

"I spend most of my day thinking about my favourite rider. I watch his races online and dig up all the interviews. After his stage win at the Giro this spring, I set up the Facebook page. Many followers, especially older ones, don’t have Instagram or X. I take the posts from and about Van Aert, have them translated and then post them on Facebook," says Agada, who has respect for more than just the sporting achievements of Van Aert.

"His personality really appeals to me. He really stands out in the peloton. Despite everything, Wout remains so humble. He's an idol to me, someone who always smiles and talks to everyone. My biggest dream is to meet him someday. I'm considering moving to Italy next year, and then maybe I can run into Wout at a race there."