Johan Bruyneel can see where Van Aert gets his awesome power from: 'That’s really beautiful to see'

Cycling
Monday, 07 September 2026 at 13:24
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On Sunday, Wout van Aert managed to secure his second stage win in this Vuelta a España in spectacular fashion. The Belgian cyclist from Visma | Lease a Bike did so in impressive fashion, as Johan Bruyneel also noted. He immediately named his compatriot as one of the favorites for the World Cycling Championships in Montreal later this month.
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Bruyneel discusses the fifteenth stage on his THEMOVE podcast, which, of course, focuses in part on Van Aert. “The way he won this stage in particular—the way he had everything under control at every moment—was impressive. How he made the move to the breakaway group and, above all, how he controlled everything in the final kilometers.”
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Bruyneel doesn't see Van Aert getting any stronger

"He probably won't even get any stronger, but he's already so incredibly strong. You can just feel the power; he can turn a situation around at any moment when others have to make a choice," the former rider and team director explains in a conversation with Spencer Martin. "And in the end, the sprint wasn't even a contest."
"The only way to beat him is with a surprise attack in the final. But with the legs Wout had, there was no doubt. In the last 4 to 5 kilometers, he simply decided: 'I'm going after everything; it's up to me; I'm closing the gaps.' “You can’t beat a rider like that at that moment,” says Bruyneel, speaking from the perspective of Thibau Nys, among others.
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Read more below the photo!
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Wout van Aert won for the second time in this Vuelta.

Bruyneel sees Van Aert in top form at the Vuelta, even off the bike

Van Aert impresses Bruyneel off the bike as well as on. “What really strikes me in interviews after a victory is how he looks. He’s so sharp. He’s very lean, but in a ‘strong’ way. You can just feel the power radiating from his body on screen. Even in the way he talks: his energy is fantastic.”
"Something I always wonder about riders who have won so much—he’s already won world titles, Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo, and Tour stages—is how they still get so much joy out of 'just' a Vuelta stage win. You see that joy come through time and time again, and how incredibly enthusiastic he is when he crosses the finish line. That’s really beautiful to see.”
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Bruyneel therefore sees Van Aert as a realistic contender for the World Championships in Montreal. “He’s back at a super-high level and is using this Vuelta as the ultimate preparation for the World Championships. We really have to count Van Aert among the absolute top favorites for the World Championships. The course is absolutely no problem for him; it’s perfectly suited to Wout and his strengths, especially given the form he’s in right now.”

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