Today, Wout van Aert is recognized as one of cycling’s most complete and formidable talents. From dominating cyclocross to winning mountain stages in the Tour de France and excelling in time trials, his versatility is unmatched. But every great career begins with a single spark — a first victory that sets everything in motion. For van Aert, that moment came long before the grand tours and global recognition, on a quiet Belgian road during his early days as a junior rider.
“It wasn’t a famous race,” van Aert recalls, “but for me, it felt like the biggest win in the world.”
The race took place in his hometown region, a typical Belgian junior circuit: short, fast, technical, and fiercely contested. Van Aert lined up at the start with little fanfare, just a young teenager with a deep love for the bike and a dream of doing something special. At the time, he was still finding his place in the sport — eager, raw, and not yet fully aware of the engine he had inside him.
As the race unfolded, van Aert began to sense an opportunity. Lap after lap, he grew more confident. “I didn’t have a perfect strategy,” he says, “but I just kept pushing. I started to believe I could actually win.” On the final lap, he made a decisive move, breaking away from the group and holding off the chasers in a dramatic solo finish.
Crossing the finish line, van Aert was overwhelmed. “I remember the adrenaline — it was unreal. I didn’t know how to celebrate. I just smiled like crazy.”
That moment, he says, was transformative. The win didn’t earn him headlines or contracts, but it gave him something even more important: belief. “It was the first time I felt like I belonged in the sport — that I could do more than just participate. I could win.”
From that day forward, van Aert trained with renewed purpose. He began to see racing not just as a passion, but as a path forward. That small-town victory became the seed of a career that would grow to include world titles, monument wins, and unforgettable performances on cycling’s biggest stages.
“I’ll never forget that race,” he says. “It’s where it all started. It gave me the confidence to chase everything that came after.”
In a sport built on grit, self-belief, and resilience, Wout van Aert’s first win remains a quiet but powerful beginning to one of cycling’s most remarkable stories.
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