Wout van Aert reflected candidly on the outcome of Stage 7 of the 2025 Tour de France, acknowledging the undeniable strength of rival Tadej Pogačar. Speaking after the grueling stage that featured steep climbs and tactical attacks, the Belgian star admitted that his team, Visma-Lease a Bike, had done everything possible to challenge the UAE Team Emirates leader, but ultimately came up short once again.
“We tried to make it hard,” van Aert said, “but Pogačar was simply the strongest. It’s becoming a familiar pattern.” Despite aggressive riding by Visma throughout the day—including coordinated attacks in the final kilometers—the Slovenian champion was able to respond with characteristic ease, ultimately dropping his rivals and securing another stage victory in dominant fashion.
Van Aert, who has played a critical support role for Visma’s general classification ambitions, noted that the team came into the Tour with a clear strategy to isolate Pogačar in the mountains. “We’ve been trying to put pressure on him early, wear him down before the decisive moments,” he explained. “But he always seems to have another gear when it matters most. It’s frustrating, but also impressive.”
The result reinforces the growing narrative that Pogačar is in peak form, with few cracks showing in his armor. For Visma, which is navigating this year’s race without their injured leader Jonas Vingegaard at 100%, the challenge of containing Pogačar has proven even more daunting. Van Aert’s comments suggest a sense of respect as well as resignation: “When someone is that strong, sometimes there’s just not much you can do. You ride your race, and you hope something changes in the days to come.”
With many key mountain stages still ahead, Visma will likely continue to look for opportunities to challenge the UAE leader. But for now, Stage 7 has underscored the task ahead—and the man they’ll have to beat.
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