Tour de France: sprinting, riding, climbing ... Wout Van Aert knows how to do everything well

It's a Tour for giants and Wout Van Aert is not necessarily the smallest of them.

Not because he measures 1.87 m and greatly exceeds in size Tadej Pogacar, yellow, white, polka-dot jersey and winner of three stages, or Mark Cavendish, green tunic and four stages on his counter on this Grande Boucle, record of Merckx equaled (34).

The Belgian Jumbo-Visma especially settled the sprint on the Champs-Élysées this Sunday, closing an astonishing harvest.

At 26, he achieved the same feat as Bernard Hinault in 1979 by winning on all terrains: in the mountains, in time trials and on the flat.

Unlike the Breton, who had topped his runner-up in the general classification Joop Zoetemelk on the Champs-Élysées, Van Aert won in the sprint in front of the whole peloton.

"It's unique, a victory like that," he smiles, his baby in his arms.

It's historic in the Tour.

History is the word.

Winner of one of the queen stages in Malaucène (Vaucluse) with the double ascent of Mont Ventoux on July 7, Wout Van Aert also outclassed all the time trial specialists on Saturday in Saint-Emilion (Gironde).

Lose pounds to aim for the general

Comfortable on all terrains, classic hunter (Amstel Gold Race 2021, Gand-Wevelgem 2021, Milan-San Remo 2020), cyclo-cross world champion (2016, 2017, 2018), can the prodigy go further and simply aim for the yellow jersey on the Champs-Élysées? “I think the road is very long to win a Tour, he slips. Today, I'm happy with that. The image that will remain with me is climbing Mont Ventoux all alone in the lead. This is the strongest for me. "

If he starts aiming for the general classification, Wout Van Aert will have to force himself to lose a few pounds while retaining his power, which will not be the easiest. Because for the moment, if he manages to dominate breakaway companions on the highest peaks, he cannot compete with the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar or his Danish teammate Jonas Vingegaard in decisive climbs for victory in the Tour. While waiting to think about the question, the Belgian will not be able, despite his incredible harvest, to let himself go to celebrate his successes. He is flying away this Sunday evening for Tokyo where he will compete in the online event of the Olympic Games on July 24 and the stopwatch on July 28. In Japan, he will be, despite the fatigue of this completely crazy end of the Tour, the one of the big favorites, of course.