Australians embrace Wout van Aert's 'raw edge': "If I could build a team around anyone, it’d be him"

“What a victory, absolute class,” McEwen said. “What he did on Montmartre was the old Wout. He never really disappeared, but that mojo was back: the power that came out of his ears. This is a stage that we will be discussing for decades to come. Epic.”

The former sprinter was skeptical about the route change before the stage, but had to reconsider after the finish. “It was an iconic classic. It was like being transported back to Flanders. It was like Wembley, Coachella, and the Tour de France all mixed together.”

White, who until this year was sporting director at Jayco AlUla, was full of praise for the Belgian's fighting spirit. ‘If I could build a team around one person, it would be him,’ he said without hesitation. “He's so complete. What he does for himself is amazing, but it's also what he does for the team. That impresses me a lot. What he did in the previous Tours for Jonas Vingegaard and his teammates was fantastic.”

The Aussie praises Van Aert's mentality. "That raw edge he has. You can see when he's disappointed or happy. People tend to forget what he's been through. What he suffered in the Vuelta was no minor injury. Absolutely not.“

”He may not have been at his best in the classics, but he still managed to win the Vuelta and the Tour. It's been another impressive season for him. This is a victory we'll remember for years to come," said White.