Wout van Aert accomplishes bucket list dream with time trial victory but plays it cool on Tour de France GC ambitions
The Belgian made it three wins in 20 stages for Jumbo-Visma

Wout van Aert ticked off a lifelong dream by winning a Tour de France time trial on stage 20 of the 2021 edition.
The Belgian was the fastest on a largely flat 30.8km course in southwestern France, with Kasper Asgreen his closest challenger 21 seconds back.
It is Van Aert's second victory of this race and fifth in his career, having previously won three sprint stages in the past two editions.
The 26-year-old said in Saint-Émilion: "It means a lot winning a Tour de France time trial and it's an achievement that was actually on my bucket list.
"I tried it a few times now but today is the day it finally worked. I was really focused on this day in the last week and I am really happy I finished the fastest."
The Jumbo-Visma rider joins a very small group of riders to have won on such varied terrain in the Tour.
His win on stage 11 that included two ascents of Mont Ventoux pointed to a potential future bid at the race's general classification, but the former cyclocross world champion preferred to reflect on his successes in the past week rather than being drawn into future prospects.
"I have won a bunch sprint, a mountain stage last week and now a time trial which is three very different things," he said.
"This one is special but the atmosphere and way I won in Malaucène [on stage 11] was really making me emotional. I think the Ventoux stage was more special.
"I didn't look to the GC too much but I was quite far behind and obviously I didn't go full on every stage.
"But some stages I was and I was always a few minutes behind the fastest climber. If I target the GC at one point, I have to improve my climbing a lot.
"At this point in my career I want to focus on my strengths I have now and first on my list are winning a lot of Classics that are still missing."
The Tour finishes on Sunday on the Champs-Élysées and even though the Olympics road race and time trial are on the horizon, Van Aert will be racing in Paris for his third victory in 10 stages.
"I am very satisfied but I am also still motivated for tomorrow," he added. "It's special because it's a sprint on Champs-Élysées which is really iconic and even just being on the podium in Paris is something special and I don't want to miss out on any possibility in my career to win a stage there.
"Even after last year after a rough Saturday, we tried and we will definitely try again tomorrow."
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.
Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
-
-
Enve introduces new SES line-up: hookless, tubeless-only and purpose-built for ‘modern road riding’
Simplified line offers four new discipline-specific American-made wheels with a proprietary hub
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
'I had lactate up to my ears': Mathieu van der Poel's stage 17 attack was an 'all or nothing' attempt
The Dutchman acknowledged he was perhaps too optimistic, but seemed encouraged by his performance nevertheless
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Is this Ineos Grenadiers' Tour de France team? Geraint Thomas teases with eight-man training squad photo
It would not be a surprise to see the same faces in Copenhagen
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Chris Froome: Being competitive at Tour de France would be a 'dream scenario'
The Israel-Premier Tech rider on being back at his normal level, appreciating his past, and aiming to have form late into the season
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Tom Pidcock: 'Of course I want to try to win the Tour de France'
After signing new contract with Ineos Grenadiers, British rider says he can lead wave of young riders at team
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel aims to ride Giro d'Italia and Tour de France this year
Dutchman is continuing his comeback from injury at Coppi e Bartali this week
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Geraint Thomas 'will be very happy going to the Tour de France as a support rider', says Ineos Grenadiers' Rod Ellingworth
Ellingworth also backs the team to start winning big once Lady Luck falls their way
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Richie Porte won't ride Tour de France because he 'didn't enjoy pressure' of 2021 edition
The Australian will instead ride the Giro d'Italia as he seeks enjoyment in his final year of racing
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Jack Haig is working on his time trial as he aims for Tour de France overall after Vuelta podium
There will be 53km worth of time trialing at the 2022 French Grand Tour
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published
-
'I don’t want to end my time with the regret of not ever trying': Julian Alaphilippe wants to try and win Tour de France before retiring
The double world champion will focus on the Classics in 2022 but still has an eye on the French Grand Tour
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published