Soudal-Quick Step overcomes loss of Evenepoel thanks to 52‑kilo powerhouse and brilliant, emotional Van Wilder

Paret-Peintre and Van Wilder made it into a large breakaway that was crafted after much effort and tactical maneuvering. The 24-year-old Frenchman showed excellent legs on Mont Ventoux. He stayed calm when Enric Mas attacked from the bottom of the climb, and once the Movistar rider was reeled in, he also managed to control Ben Healy. Paret-Peintre remained cool as ever, even when Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) and the exhausted Mas returned to the group after a game of poker with Healy.

In the final kilometer, the early escapees watched each other for so long that Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar were rapidly closing from behind. The two suddenly looked like they might be racing for the win, until Van Wilder—like a jack-in-the-box—shot to the front and drove up the pace for Paret-Peintre. The 52-kilo climbing talent rewarded the Belgian’s massive effort with a winning sprint against Healy.

“This is extraordinary,” beamed Paret-Peintre afterward in the flash interview. He was astonished because: “This was not the plan at all, since I thought Pogacar wanted to win the stage and would try to control the race. I didn’t really believe in it, but when a big group went up the road, I thought: why shouldn’t I go along, you never know. Maybe competing for the win could actually be possible.”

And so it happened. UAE Team Emirates-XRG let the breakaway’s lead grow to over six minutes, and that turned out to be just enough. “I felt really good and had two teammates with me. I told them I had a chance to win, but I can’t believe it actually worked. On Mont Ventoux, that’s something special. Healy was really strong when he attacked, but I told myself: don’t give up, this is about winning on Mont Ventoux.”

Despite two sprint victories by Tim Merlier and a time trial win by Evenepoel, emotions were running high at Soudal-Quick Step. Especially for Van Wilder, who played a key role by riding back at his own pace and then pushing the tempo. “I was riding power numbers I knew I could sustain for a long time. I saw one rider after another blow up. It was like an individual time trial, a real chase. But suddenly, I managed to get back to the front of the race,” he told Sporza.

Since Paret-Peintre had already indicated earlier in the stage that he was feeling super strong, Van Wilder knew he had to go all-in for his teammate. “I didn’t hesitate and immediately set the pace. It couldn’t have gone any better, Valentin understood it straight away. Healy then jumped from my wheel, but Valentin was able to follow. Our Tour can’t go wrong now. And it’s far from over. Tomorrow we’ll go for it again, in the sprint.”

It could become stage win number five, but that doesn’t dampen the celebration among the Belgians. Footage from the team bus showed just how great the joy was after four stage victories. “The last few days we went through a bit of a storm, but the sun is shining again,” said Paret-Peintre about Evenepoel’s withdrawal.