Van Aert gives green jersey to fan who loaned him pump at Tour | Video

Van Aert got up the road early, then helped his team take yellow before cementing his reputation as the fans' favourite after the race (Photo: Charly Lopez)

Wout van Aert's reputation as a fans' favourite was on display today after Tour de France stage 11 when he needed to borrow a pump from a spectator and then returned the favour by, literally, giving him the shirt off his back.

The Belgian Jumbo Visma rider had just helped his team beat Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) on today's stage and after being presented with the green jersey again he had to ride back down the Col du Granon towards his team bus.

However, on the way down he suffered a slow punctured and with no pump himself, and no back-up vehicles to call upon, he turned to the fans by the roadside. One of them loaned him a pump and so Van Aert took off his green jersey and gave it to him as a thank you.

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The moment was recorded by Italian cycling journalist and podcaster Michele Pelacci, who explained what happened.

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"My brother punctures, we stop at the side of the road to replace the inner tube. Who stops five minutes later? Wout Van Aert," he said.

"I tell him 'hey Wout, liquid comes out of the wheel'. He looked at me stupidly and explained it was tubeless. He asks for a pump, an English guy hands it to him, who says Wout you're a legend, he: "I have something for you: take off my green shirt, it's yours."

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