Giro d’Italia 2025: Wout Van Aert has reached 50. Career victory
BRATISLAVA. The last year and a half of Woutt Van Aert’s cycling career was marked by injuries and also frustrations from the exterminated opportunities.
Last year he had a great form before the monument around Flanders, but the fall at Dwars Door Vlaanderen knocked him out of the game. Subsequently, he did not see the tour of the victory and when he was again in the top form at Vuelt, the fall came again.
As the winner of the three stages and the unambiguous leader of the scoring competition, he had to withdraw five stages before the end for knee injury. The green jersey eventually won Kaden Groves, although he scored 65 points less than Van Aert.
« You can still cope with the first fall. But when the second comes, it is physically and mentally demanding. Then you ask yourself if it is all worth it, » said his wife Sarah de Bieova.
Resurrection and redemption
On Sunday she was with both sons in the hall where she culminated Ninth stage this year’s Giro d’Italia. Van Aert was one of the biggest favorites, as it was a « shortened version » of the prestigious Spring Classic Strate Bianche.
Several times a 30-year-old native of Herentals had to withdraw to the bottom of his forces, but eventually ended almost a year waiting for 50.
Video: Editing from 9. Stage of Giro d’Italia 2025
« It is a special place for me. This is where my career started in 2018. Winning the race after a long dry season is a great feeling. It is hard to express it in words, » said Van Aert.
His triumph was also emotionally experienced by Eurosport experts, Belgian television commentators, family and relatively big favor enjoyed the Visma-Lease Rider and Bike among fans at Piazza del Campo.
« The fans were incredible. I never saw Italians such enthusiastic from a stranger, » commentator Renaat Schotte described his impressions.
Van Aert may not be as popular as Mathieu Van der Poel or Tadej Pogačar, but the victory in the Siena was also given to those who do not support him too much.
In addition to these injuries, he was seven times in the top 5 this season, but he didn’t win once. He was often second or fourth. At Gire, after the first stage, he longed to wear a pink jersey, but in the sprint he was blowing it by Dan Mads Pedersen.
« Resurrection and redemption: Wout Van Aert expels his demons, » wrote the TV website Sporza after Belgian completed the Grand Tours stage (9x Tour, 3x Vuelta and once Giro).
A young man has nothing to blame
A similar type of race fits him, as evidenced by his balance on Strate Bianche. He was on the stage three times in his four participants, never ended worse than the fourth and in 2020 he was able to triumph.
This time his biggest rival was Mexican Isaac del Toro from UAE Emirates. The great talent of world cycling tried to break the resistance of the more experienced rival, but he held it as a tick.
« It was hard to stay behind him, he went fantastically. Maybe my experience helped me, but my whole body hurts, » one of the most versatile cyclists said today.
When Del Toro attacked 16 km before the finish, only Van Aert captured his arrival. His sports director Marc Reef intensively encouraged him through the radio, « Let’s Wout, this is your day. Do it for your children! »
Visma leader managed the climb, then let the pace of a 21-year-old young man, as he had team colleague Simoma Yates in the group behind them and in a well-known range in the hall he knew what to do.
Video: Sports Director Marc Reef encourages WOUTA VAN AERTA
« I did everything I could. I risked, but it didn’t work out. I can’t blame anything, » said Del Toro, quoted by Wielerflits.
« Del Toro was in this duel Tiretor and Van Aert was a bull. The bull almost never wins, but this time he won, » added Renaat Schotte commentator.
Will imitate Kussa?
Mexican has to wait for a stage victory in Gire’s debut, but he has achieved something that no countryman. On Tuesday he will wear a pink jersey.
« It’s incredible. Every child is watching this, which is followed by Giro, » said the winner of the Youth Tour de France from 2023 – the Tour de l’Avenir.
His talent is also evidenced by the fact that UAE Emirates did not hesitate to sign a contract with him by 2029.
He was not a favorite of Vuelta or Visma leader two years ago, but he gained a big lead in one of the stages and finally got a red jersey in front of Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič.
« I don’t think I’m a team leader now. I have more confidence in Juan Ayus and Adam Yates. There is a time trial on Tuesday that will be the longest in my career (28.6 km).
On the contrary, in the time trial he will have to chase the shortage of Roglič.
For several times, the Grand Tour did not escape the fall, which, in combination with the defect on unpaved roads, caused an unwanted time loss.
« I am glad that this stage is over. I didn’t feel the best in it. I lose more than a minute on Ayus, but Giro will last two weeks. As I lost today, I can win at other times, » added the winner of 2023.
