Wout van Aert had his first public appearance today since his Paris-Roubaix win and this is what he said:
“It is the most beautiful moment of my career. Definitely, I hope there will be more successes, but for now, I'm still enjoying it. I felt a relief much greater than after other big successes."
“My Montmartre Champs Élysées win changed everything for me in my mind. Up until then, I was convinced that Pogacar and Van der Poel were impossible to beat. I know many factors came into play that day, I was much fresher than Pogacar, for example, but by beating him, I realized I was still capable of winning against these riders if all the conditions were right."
“You probably saw that viral image from Roubaix of my front wheel being in the air. In one of the big corners at the beginning of the Carrefour de l'Arbre, I remembered that I had punctured a specific stone. That's why I decided to jump over it. But I was not aware of having jumped so high.”
“But in the end, I just do my job and pursue my dream. It's nice to be part of a great team and to play a great sport. I never tried to be a role model. But I take advantage of it. Inspiring children is the best thing."
📷: Leen Van De Sande