A Paris-Roubaix winner and nine-time Tour starter, van Baarle joined the Wolfpack from Visma-Lease a Bike on a two-year deal, seeking a return to his imperious 2022 level. In this Tour his diesel engine and peerless positioning make him the man who pilots Merlier through the chaos of the final kilometres. Few riders in the race can match his experience in crosswinds and on nervous transition days.
Palmarès
- Paris-Roubaix winner (2022)
- Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner (2023)
- Dwars door Vlaanderen winner (2021)
- Dutch national road race champion (2023)
- Tour of Britain overall winner (2014)
Cut-out factHe lives in Monaco with his partner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot — winner of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes — making them arguably pro cycling's ultimate power couple.
The squad
Riding the 2026 Tour with Tim Merlier, Pascal Eenkhoorn, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Jasper Stuyven, Bert Van Lerberghe, Ilan Van Wilder, Louis Vervaeke — see the full Soudal Quick-Step team page.
Portrait: AI paper-collage render (gpt-image-2) after a reference photograph — source: Wikimedia Commons, author: Cs-wolves, license: CC BY-SA 4.0.
A fan project — not affiliated with the Tour de France or A.S.O.
.jpg){kind=link}