Wout van Aert: I don't think the win was possible at Paris-Roubaix

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) during Paris-Roubaix 2021
Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) during Paris-Roubaix 2021 (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) was one of the pre-race favourites in the rain-soaked 2021 edition of Paris-Roubaix. The triple cyclo-cross world champion was expected to deal well with the slippery conditions on the cobbles, but he kept his guns quiet and was never in contention for the victory.

The 27-year-old Belgian champion finished seventh, 1:16 down on winner Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious). Van Aert’s struggle to live up to the high expectations at the 2021 World Championships in Leuven last week might have been an indicator of his form: good, but not good enough to win. Van Aert struggled with his eyesight and explained after the race that the win wasn’t possible this year.

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