After his feat in Paris during the last stage of the Tour de France, Wout van Aert returned to Herentals, his hometown, for a celebration with all his fans and was welcomed like a rock star or a world-famous actor. Van Aert is an authentic celebrity in Belgium and especially in the Flanders region, but winning the last Tour stage in Paris has certainly increased his fame.

"The final stage in Paris can sometimes be underestimated," the Flemish rider said yesterday in Herentals, "but when you win it, it's like winning a special prize that goes beyond the stage itself."

Van Aert had already won in Paris in 2021, but he didn't have the chance to understand the importance of that victory because immediately after the finish, he headed to the airport where a flight to Japan was waiting for him, as he had to participate in the Tokyo Olympics postponed by a year due to covid.

"For our team, the victory in Paris was very important, because we know how valuable that final milestone can be. It's the last day of the Tour, and you'll be the last rider to be photographed before everything ends."

There's a celebration for the general classification winner and the jersey leaders, but first and foremost, the spotlight is on the rider who will be the first to cross the finish line on the Champs-Élysées.

"Every cyclist dreams of winning a Tour de France stage, but if asked which one they would want to win, they would definitely answer Paris. After the awards ceremony, I spent more time signing autographs than riding a bike."

Van Aert arrived home after a few days of vacation, and his people were waiting for him for a party that went on until late at night. "The evening in Paris was a celebration with the team, but it was very late, and after toasting with everyone, I preferred to retire because I was very tired. I let all my teammates have fun."

The Belgian has had two difficult years, marked by significant falls and long rehabilitation. Returning to racing at a high level is always difficult, especially when you're a cyclist who has won as much as he has. The victory in the Tour's final stage gave Van Aert a fame he didn't expect, and he was surprised by all the support the public showed him.

Only now does Van Aert realize how impressive that victory was. "When I won in 2021, I didn't realize how special this victory was. I underestimated its value. Now I fully understand its meaning, and in the days following, I read many messages and saw the images of what was happening along the route, and it was crazy."

Paris is the city where the Tour de France has always arrived, only last year, due to the Olympics, the finish was in Nice. Various French cities present candidacies to ASO to be start or finish cities of stages, but none have ever tried to bid for the final finish line. "The Tour has always ended in Paris and must end in Paris, because this city is the symbol of an entire country," explained Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris. "No French person thinks the finish should be in another city."

The Tour de France, along with modernity, brings with it tradition and a sense of belonging to a nation. That's why on July 14th, Bastille Day and a national holiday in France, the Tour always offers a special stage. On that day, or in the following days, the prime minister or the president of the republic arrives at the yellow race, and it doesn't matter if the finish line is at the top of the Alps or Pyrenees; for the French, it's important that the highest institutional offices pay homage to the race with their presence.

This year in Paris, with the passage through Montmartre, the cycling public was thrilled, because the route of the 2024 Olympics was being retraced. The streets were so crowded that controlled entry began at midnight the night before, and by 12 o'clock all available spots were occupied.

The victory in Paris gave Van Aert a new boost, and perhaps this success could convince him to participate in the World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda. In recent months, the Belgian champion had said he would not participate in the world championship in Africa, but when the Belgian press asked the question again in Herentals, instead of confirming his absence, he simply said: "The world championship will have a very tough course, and there's no need for me to say it". Is he reconsidering?