Van Aert triumphs at Roubaix: The Hell of the North crowns its new Angel
In the Hell of the North, where every metre must be survived before it can be conquered, Wout van Aert found the defining victory of his career. At Paris-Roubaix 2026, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider turned a savage race of punctures, attacks and constant tension into a masterpiece of resilience. It seemed the day would belong to Pogačar or Van der Poel, but Van Aert emerged as the man who endured the most and finished the strongest.
Even after suffering two punctures in crucial phases of the race, Van Aert never disappeared from contention. With 53 kilometres to go, on sector 12 between Auchy-lez-Orchies and Bersée, he broke clear with Tadej Pogačar, setting up the race-winning move. The world champion attacked repeatedly, trying to ride him off the wheel, but Van Aert answered every time, while behind them Van der Poel lost ground through a nightmare of mechanical problems, especially in the Arenberg Forest.
Inside the Vélodrome André Pétrieux, Van Aert delivered the final blow. He out-sprinted Pogačar to claim his first Paris-Roubaix, adding the cobblestone trophy that had eluded him after podiums in 2022 and 2023. Jasper Stuyven completed the podium in third, but this was Van Aert’s day alone: the day he became Roubaix’s new hero and gave Visma-Lease a Bike its first men’s victory in the race since 1984.
