Wout van Aert doesn’t hide it: he hopes to finally win the Tour of Flanders and/or Paris-Roubaix next year. Van Aert leaves nothing to chance, and this morning (20.12), he decided, along with his teammates, to explore the cobblestone sections of Paris-Roubaix.
The 29-year-old Belgian was spotted by the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws in the Forest of Wallers, one of the most crucial areas of the ‘Hell of the North.’ The equipment was also extensively tested along the way. Earlier this year, he had a flat tire towards the end of the 120th edition of Paris-Roubaix.
Flat tire at Carrefour de l’Arbre
Due to a flat tire at Carrefour de l’Arbre, Van Aert saw a potential victory at Paris-Roubaix go up in smoke. The Belgian had attacked just before the final crucial stretch of cobblestones, but at the turn of Carrefour de l’Arbre, the Jumbo-Visma leader suffered a puncture and even had to dismount. As a result, he witnessed Mathieu Van der Poel break away for a solo flight and triumph at the Roubaix velodrome. Van Aert himself had to settle for third place.
Dwars Door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders have already been ridden
It will still be a while until the Spring Classics, but the Jumbo-Visma core is ahead of schedule for 2024. Van Aert and his teammates have also already explored Dwars Door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders. But why so early? “We took the opportunity to refresh our memories in a playful way,” explained sports director Maarten Wynants to Het Nieuwsblad.
“For us, this is, above all, an opportunity to ride the Tour route in a relaxed and pressure-free environment. Will it make a difference soon? Maybe not, but it will never be a disadvantage. Everyone is extremely relaxed, and we were fortunate to have the only two dry days in November.”
Recall Paris-Roubaix 2023: