'He’s everyone’s champion, a man of the people' - Affini reflects on Van Aert’s Roubaix victory

“No one deserved a victory like that more than Wout,” Affini said in an interview with La Gazetta Della Sport. “Not just for us, but for the whole cycling world.”

For Team Visma | Lease a Bike it marked the team’s first success in one of cycling’s most demanding one day races, a breakthrough that resonated beyond the immediate result.

“It’s a huge joy for him, for us, for everyone,” Affini explained. “It’s the first time we’ve won Roubaix, so it will stay with us. But I think the entire cycling world is happy. In Belgium, April 12 might as well become a national holiday.”

The celebrations that followed were measured rather than extravagant. A dinner at the hotel, time shared with teammates and families, and a quiet acknowledgment of what had been achieved.

“It was the right way to close the first part of the season,” he said.

Affini has spent more race days alongside Van Aert than anyone else on the team, a proximity that has shaped not only their professional relationship but also a personal one. They have shared rooms at training camps and built familiarity through years of racing together.

“I can call myself his friend,” Affini said. “I remember when I signed for the team in 2020 and sent him a message to introduce myself. He replied that he remembered me standing still at Strade Bianche,” he adds with a laugh.

That blend of humor and humility, according to Affini, defines Van Aert away from the spotlight.

“He’s a champion for everyone, a man of the people,” Affini said. “But what stands out most is his humility. He stays grounded and gets along with everyone. At the same time, when he needs to assert himself or say no, he does. He’s not someone who simply agrees with everything.”

That balance extends to his racing. Affini describes Van Aert as one of the most complete riders in the modern peloton, second only, in his view, to Tadej Pogačar.

“He can do everything,” Affini says. “He can lead a sprint, close gaps, attack and win solo. He can work for a leader, like he did for Jonas Vingegaard at the 2022 Tour, or support someone like Simon Yates. He’s strong on every terrain and can climb better than many others. That’s what makes him a true leader and a model for the rest of us.”

His willingness to sacrifice is part of that reputation. Even as one of the sport’s biggest names, Van Aert has often taken on domestique duties, embracing the less visible work required for team success.

“Sometimes he does the same job as us,” Affini says. “He works for the team and enjoys it.”

The path to Roubaix, however, has not been without setbacks. Affini recalls the crash at the 2024 Vuelta as a particularly difficult moment, both physically and mentally.

“He was incredibly strong then, winning stages with ease, and the crash hit him hard,” he says. “It came after other injuries too. Bad luck has never really left him.”

That context only deepens the significance of his Roubaix victory. For Van Aert, it was a resolution of something that had long remained unfinished.

“This race changes everything,” Affini says. “It puts him in history. If he could have chosen one victory, it would have been this one. Now maybe we’ll see him more relaxed, more free. Winning Roubaix takes a weight off your shoulders.”

For Affini, the race itself offered little satisfaction. There was no dramatic incident, no defining moment, only the quiet realization that his legs were not responding.

“Not good,” he says. “I did five sectors and then that was it. There wasn’t a specific problem, my legs just weren’t there.”