'Since that day, I wanted to win here and point to the sky' - Van Aert dedicates Paris-Roubaix win to Michael Goolaerts

Wout van Aert held his nerve after a day defined by punctures and brutal racing, emerging from the chaos alongside Tadej Pogačar for a two-rider duel in the final 50km. 

Not even repeated accelerations from the world champion could shake him on the cobbles, where Van Aert looked increasingly at ease as the race approached its conclusion.

Van Aert had to overcome two punctures of his own but insisted afterwards that everything had unfolded as he had hoped. “There is no better way to win than arriving at the finish with the world champion,” he said. “To beat him in the sprint makes it very special for me.”

He revealed he had already played out the finale countless times in his head. 

“When we were heading to the velodrome, I stuck to my plan. I’ve ridden that sprint so many times in my dreams, I knew exactly what to do,” Van Aert said. “The hardest part was just getting there. I was on the limit to stay on Tadej’s wheel, but it was all worth it.”

Yet it was his gesture after the finish that defined the day. Looking skyward, Van Aert paid tribute to Goolaerts, his former teammate who died after suffering a cardiac arrest during the 2018 edition of this race. It was Van Aert's Paris-Roubaix debut. 

“Since that day, I wanted to win here and point to the sky,” Van Aert said. “This one is for him, for his family, and for everyone who was there with us.”

The emotion continued as he embraced his family moments later, the weight of years of near misses and setbacks finally lifted. “People close to me know how many times I had to pick myself up,” Van Aert said. “That’s why this means everything.”