It's a mark of the great champions to raise their game when the challenges are at their toughest, and on a dauntingly technical and difficult final stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, Wout van Aert proved his star status is still fully justified with a spectacular solo victory over a rival of the calibre of Tadej Pogačar.
The Visma-Lease a Bike racer had won in a bunch dash for the line on the Champs Elysées in 2021, clinching a remarkable double when he conquered the Tour's final time trial on stage 20, then added a sprint win on the Sunday in Paris.
