Wout van Aert might have won just once this year, but he is still one of the best bike riders in the world

Before Sunday’s Giro d’Italia stage nine, Wout van Aert had won 49 races on the road in an already illustrious career, not to mention success in cyclo-cross. The Belgian is the man who won a sprint, a mountain stage, and a time trial all at the same Tour de France, the winner of the green jersey at the same race, a domestique de luxe for Jonas Vingegaard at times. It’s difficult to think of a more all-round rider in this modern age who isn’t called Tadej Pogačar.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider has not had a bad season, with second at Dwaars door Vlaanderen, fourth at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, second at Brabantse Pijl and fourth at the Amstel Gold Race. He has now won a stage of the Giro d’Italia, completing the set of Grand Tour stage wins, and did so in impressive circumstances in Siena, digging so deep to cling onto Isaac del Toro’s wheel and win the stage that was, in effect, a mini-Strade Bianche. Accordingly, he currently sits at fourth in the UCI’s rankings, behind only Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič, and ahead of Mathieu van der Poel.

Adam Becket

News editor at Cycling Weekly, Adam brings his weekly opinion on the goings on at the upper echelons of our sport. This piece is part of The Leadout, a newsletter series from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here. As ever, email adam.becket@futurenet.com - should you wish to add anything, or suggest a topic.

However, observing Van Aert’s reaction to winning on Sunday, and the outpouring of love from across the cycling world, one would be forgiven for inferring that this meant more. The 30-year-old jumped into the arms of his soigneur, scarcely able to believe he was victorious once again. Then his whole team waited to watch him celebrate on the podium. It was not just another win, it was a redemptive occasion, a reminder that Wout van Aert was still here as a serious contender. It was a reminder for him, as much as anyone else.

Not that there was ever really much doubt. It was only eight months, 21 days since his last win at the 2024 Vuelta a España. For any other rider, this would be nothing out of the ordinary, but for a rider as consistent and titled as Van Aert, it seemed like an eternity, especially after his knee injury suffered later in last year’s Vuelta. The scar on his knee is a reminder of that brutal crash.

Despite the solid results, he became a meme, potentially the new ‘Eternal Second’ after Raymond Poulidor. Along with those 50 career wins, there are 35 second places and 24 bronze medals - such is the life of an all rounder, who can come close in all sorts of different scenarios, from World Championships to time trials.

The heartbreak - or mockery - depending on who you are, reached its zenith at Dwars door Vlaanderen, when Van Aert couldn’t convert a golden chance into a win. Led out by two teammates, he couldn’t out-sprint Neilson Powless to the line, hardly a sprinter. It seemed like this might be it now, the near-misses becoming a bigger part of his vibe than the victories.

While his long-term rival Van der Poel has won Monument after Monument - eight in total, now - Van Aert still has just one. The truth is, the pair are very different riders on the road, and have had divergent careers. The question is not ‘which one is better?’, because they don’t exist just against each other. Van der Poel has become an all-time Classics rider, while Van Aert has performed more at Grand Tours, and has also been crucial to his teammates more often. The latter might not have the glittery palmarès he craves, but he does have almost as many wins - Van der Poel has 54 - and his career is not over yet.

We do not know entirely how much the impact of the serious injuries Van Aert suffered last year, have taken out of him, but it would not be a surprise if they seriously dented his abilities. To bounce back from that is worthy of respect, before the solid results.

Ironically, given it’s not what Van Aert or Visma-Lease a Bike want, the second places and heartbreak have endeared the Belgian to fans more than ever before. There was no shrug, like there would be with some of the winning machines around right now, but instead euphoria that he is raising his arms in celebration once again. Everyone, seemingly, wants to see the man in yellow do well.

Cycling can seem so binary sometimes, winning or losing, but sheer consistency is underpriced. Van Aert is always there, and perhaps now he has tasted victory once, it will snowball into more success; but this is not the only metric to go by. He is still one of the best bike riders in the world, it would just be nice to see him smile more often.

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