'I had the legs' - Wout van Aert reflects on lost chance after Paris-Roubaix puncture

Wout van Aert dismounts his bicycle after his mechanical failure in the closing kilometres of Paris-Roubaix 2023
Wout van Aert dismounts his bicycle after his mechanical failure in the closing kilometres of Paris-Roubaix 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Mathieu van der Poel took a jubilant solo victory in the 2023 men’s edition of Paris-Roubaix, but had it not been for a puncture on the Carrefour de l'Arbre he may have had to battle Wout van Aert for the final sprint.

Van Aert punctured in the final kilometre of the infamous Carrefour de l'Arbre, just as he was making what he hoped could be a race-winning attack. 

Peter Stuart
Editor

Peter Stuart has been the editor of Cyclingnews since March 2022, overseeing editorial output across all of Cyclingnews' digital touchpoints.

Before joining Cyclingnews, Peter was the digital editor of Rouleur magazine. Starting life as a freelance feature writer, with bylines in The Times and The Telegraph, he first entered cycling journalism in 2012, joining Cyclist magazine as staff writer. Peter has a background as an international rower, representing Great Britain at Under-23 level and at the Junior Rowing World Championships.