Wout van Aert heads into Paris-Roubaix buoyed by a strong Classics campaign, even if a ban on the self-inflating tyre tech that Visma-Lease a Bike have previously used in the race was an unnecessary and frustrating distraction.
Speaking at the team presentation in a drizzly Compiègne, Van Aert acknowledged that the race scenario could well follow that of last weekend’s Tour of Flanders.
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Van Aert managed fourth at De Ronde, unable to follow the pace set by Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and, to an extent, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe), but he remains positive with the belief that a spot inside the top three is within his grasp.
Assessing how he ranks up against Pogačar and Van der Poel on the Paris-Roubaix pavé this year, Van Aert was cautiously optimistic, adding: “I think for sure they’re closer on this course, [but] even if you get gapped, just try to fight to the end.
The Belgian may be hoping that quick finisher Matthew Brennan can offer an alternative card for the team to play should both survive the early pavé sectors; however, the Briton has been struggling to shake off an illness of late.
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