Parents of Michael Goolaerts moved by Van Aert's victory and tribute

#All4Goolie. It is a hashtag Wout van Aert has used regularly on social media since 2018, in memory of his teammate Michael Goolaerts, who died during Paris-Roubaix that year. Eight years later, Van Aert completed the circle by winning that very race — and it deeply moved Goolaerts' parents.

Sporza spoke to Staf and Marianne Goolaerts after Van Aert's victory in the northern French Monument. "It is overwhelming. Look, since Michael's death I don't normally watch racing any more," said father Staf, visibly emotional. "It hurts too much. Especially because these were his kind of races. I try to shut it out a bit. So today I wasn't following it either."

"But I was on my way back from visiting my mother and heard on the radio that Wout had a chance of winning. I pulled into our driveway and just stayed there, listening," Staf continued. "I also heard Wout's first interview there. The tears were rolling down my cheeks."

"I went inside and my wife was watching everything on television — unlike me, she can still watch the races. Then we heard Wout's interview again in Dutch. Absolutely beautiful."

Van Aert remains closely involved with the Goolaerts family. "I still send a message to those guys regularly. To Wout too — he always replies within a few minutes. But I don't like to bother him. The man has other priorities. And I don't want to confront him with our grief either. Because if you have to ride around with that thought in your head..."

"Wout always said he would win the flowers at Roubaix for Michael. After years of bad luck, we had almost given up hope. It seemed like it just wasn't meant to be for Wout. Punctures, crashes — and then Pogačar sets his sights on the race too. Try beating him. But on Sunday, everything came together," Staf told Sporza.

Van Aert crossed the finish line in Roubaix with his finger pointed to the sky and had already promised the victory flowers to Goolaerts' parents. "Those will get a place of honour by Michael's urn. Which, by the way, is in the shape of a cobblestone. On the day Michael would have turned 30, Wout was here with flowers too. He is always welcome," said Staf Goolaerts.