Van Aert Gets Tribute Book with 4,027 Fan Messages After Paris-Roubaix Victory

Belgian cycling star Wout van Aert received a 120-page tribute book containing 4,027 personal congratulations from fans on Sunday, presented just before the start of the Belgian Gravel Championship (BK gravel) in Grobbendonk. The emotional gesture comes four months after his historic Paris-Roubaix victory, which he dedicated to his late teammate Michael Goolaerts.

According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the tribute book was handed to Van Aert by VTM NIEUWS sports journalist Maxim Goethals before the start of the race. The book features the most striking photos from Paris-Roubaix 2026 alongside the personal messages from fans across Belgium.

A Victory Four Months in the Making

Van Aert’s triumph on April 12 was the culmination of years of near-misses in the Hell of the North. The 31-year-old had finished second in 2022 and third in 2023 before finally breaking through, beating world champion Tadej Pogacar in a sprint-à-deux at the Vélodrome André Pétrieux. As the official Paris-Roubaix website described it, the victory marked Visma-Lease a Bike’s first triumph in the men’s race after 42 winless participations since 1984.

Van Aert called the win “a life’s work” and immediately dedicated it to Goolaerts, his teammate who died at age 23 from cardiac arrest during the 2018 edition of the race. “This victory is for Michael,” Van Aert said at the finish, pointing to the sky.

A Promise Kept

The emotional connection to Goolaerts runs deep. In 2023, Van Aert made a public promise: if he ever won Roubaix, the victory flowers would belong to Staf and Marianne, Goolaerts’ parents. Sporza reported that the day after his victory, Van Aert sent a message in the early hours of the morning to Staf Goolaerts, saying he couldn’t sleep and that the flowers were on their way with his manager Jef Van den Bosch.

“I see this as a victory for ‘our Michael’,” Marianne Goolaerts told Sporza. “Wout kept his word with the bouquet.” Copies of the tribute book were also given to Van Aert’s parents, Henk and Ivonne, and to Staf and Marianne Goolaerts.

The HLN Campaign

Het Laatste Nieuws launched a call on the evening of the Paris-Roubaix victory for fans to send congratulations to Van Aert. The response was overwhelming: 4,027 people sent personal messages, which were compiled into the tribute book. The foreword was written by HLN columnist Jan Segers, the former head of sports at the newspaper.

Van Aert’s Reaction

“I am impressed,” Van Aert said upon receiving the book, as reported by Het Laatste Nieuws. “I had heard about the concept before. It’s beautifully put together. The photos are beautiful. This is a great keepsake. I think it will be leafed through regularly at our home. A big thank you to everyone who supported me.”

Debut at the Belgian Gravel Championship

The presentation came as Van Aert made his debut at the BK gravel in Grobbendonk, a race held in his home region near Herentals. The 163.2 km course features 63% off-road terrain, including passages through the Lovenhoek nature reserve and the Den Troon military domain, as Veldritkrant.be noted.

Speaking before the race, Van Aert told Sporza that having fun was the priority. “My career won’t change much with this race,” he said. “But at some point the game will come to the surface and you’ll want to try to win the race.” A victory would give him a 10th Belgian champion jersey across all disciplines.

What’s Next

The tribute book ceremony marks another chapter in what has been a remarkable year for Van Aert. After missing the Tour de France due to an elbow injury, he returned to win three stages and the overall classification at the PostNord Tour of Denmark. The Vuelta starts in Monaco in six days, and the World Championships are scheduled for Montreal at the end of September.

As NRC observed, Van Aert’s victory was not just a personal triumph but also a redemption story for a rider long haunted by near-misses and setbacks. The 4,027 messages in the tribute book are a testament to how deeply his victory resonated with the Belgian public.