Wout van Aert has claimed his second career Monument victory, triumphing at Paris-Roubaix by defeating formidable rivals Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel. This historic win makes him the first Belgian to achieve this feat since Philippe Gilbert in 2019.
Van Aert, already a Milan-San Remo victor in 2020, ended Mathieu van der Poel’s remarkable three-year winning streak at the event. Van der Poel finished fourth, 15 seconds behind Van Aert. In a nail-biting final sprint, Van Aert also denied Tadej Pogacar the opportunity to add the last missing Monument to his already illustrious palmarès. Another Belgian contender, Jasper Stuyven, secured third place, finishing 13 seconds adrift.
Despite his undeniable talent, Wout van Aert has often been hampered by misfortune, including crashes and punctures, which some have described as part of his unique charm. This history of bad luck might explain the overwhelming support he received from the local French fans as he surged ahead of Pogacar in the velodrome.
“Winning this race basically means everything to me,” Van Aert stated. “We make so many sacrifices to reach this level, to always be fighting, and every year, our goal is this race and Flanders. To finish like this in a sprint with Tadej in his jersey, there’s no better way to do it.” Van Aert reflected on his past setbacks at the race, acknowledging that those difficult experiences had provided him with the crucial knowledge to succeed this time around.
Van Aert dedicated his significant victory to the memory of Michael Goolaerts, a fellow Belgian cyclist who tragically passed away from cardiac arrest during the 2018 Paris-Roubaix race in Briastre at the young age of 23.