Wout van Aert is popular not only in Belgium and the Netherlands but also in... Nigeria. The person behind "Wout van Aert Fanpage," the largest fan page with about 30,000 followers on Facebook, actually comes from this African country.
Sporza decided to contact George Agada, a 27-year-old microbiology student who runs the fan page. He turns out to be a fan from the very beginning. "I used to be mostly a football fan, but my favorite club kept disappointing me," the man explains. "I switched to cycling, and Wout immediately caught my attention."
"I spend most of my day following my favorite rider. I watch his races online and track down all his interviews. After his stage win at the Giro this spring, I created the Facebook page. Many followers, especially older people, don’t have Instagram or X. I share posts about and from Van Aert, have them translated, and then post them on Facebook," says Agada, who not only respects Van Aert the cyclist.
"His personality really attracts me. He truly stands out in the peloton. Despite everything, Wout remains so humble. He’s an idol to me, someone who always smiles and talks to everyone. My big dream is to meet him one day. I’m considering moving to Italy next year, and then maybe I can meet Wout at a race there."
