Van Aert targets Paris and on Pogacar: ‘I hope he doesn’t interfere, even if for reasons…’

For many of the riders still in the peloton, today will be the most important day of the Tour de France. Winning a stage is everyone’s dream, but winning in Paris on the Champs-Élysées is on a completely different level.

Usually, the victory is reserved for the sprinters—unless someone manages a sensational move in the final kilometers—but this time the climb up to Montmartre opens the door to a range of opportunities for many finishers or non‑sprinters, and nobody can let that chance slip by without trying.

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Among those most interested—and naturally one of the favorites—is Van Aert, still hunting for a win in this Tour de France. The Belgian spoke after yesterday’s stage to Sporza and confirmed that today’s stage is his target. The possible problem? Pogacar… here are Van Aert’s words:

ON YESTERDAY’S STAGE –
“In the first part of the race I didn’t have the legs I had hoped for. I tried, but I didn’t have the acceleration needed to stay with them. We weren’t far behind on the steep climb, and there I realized the race would explode again. I joined a good group, but we were riding in no man’s land because there were more riders with a teammate up the road than riders trying to bridge across.”

ON TODAY’S STAGE –
“I can’t wait to try again tomorrow. I’m much more motivated than before. Every now and then I’ve ended up in a bunch sprint. It worked once, but otherwise they’ve always been easy sprints. Now, with Montmartre, it’s more like a classic, even though it will be a short and explosive race. But it suits me. I hope Pogačar doesn’t interfere, even if for personal reasons. To be honest, he doesn’t seem very motivated anymore. Although much will depend on the weather.”

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