'It was chaos from section one': Wout van Aert says victory was not possible for him at Paris-Roubaix 2021
The Belgian champion admits he was mispositioned when Mathieu van der Poel made his key attack


Wout van Aert has described the "chaos" that was the 2021 Paris-Roubaix where he blames poor positioning, vision, and legs for not being able to follow Mathieu van der Poel's attack.
Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) came into the 'Hell of the North' as the top favourite according to the bookies, but the Belgian champion was unable to challenge for the win over the wet and muddy cobbles, taking seventh place in the famous Roubaix velodrome.
The 27-year-old finished over a minute down on the eventual winner and European champion Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) who took the win on his debut ride, with fellow Paris-Roubaix first-timers Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Soudal) and Van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) rounding out the podium.
>>> Five wet and muddy talking points from Paris-Roubaix 2021
Speaking after the race Van Aert reflected on his performance, saying that the race descended into chaos right from the very start of the 28 cobbled sectors.
"It was a hard day," Van Aert said. "I had calculated that a big group would leave beforehand. We had a few powerful guys in front, so our situation was fine.
"It was chaos from section one, so you had to stay in front and be extra focused to avoid problems."
The rain had created a quagmire on the cobbles which caked the riders in mud, making them almost unrecognisable. Van Aert had remain well-positioned throughout much of the race, but took responsibility for being in the wrong place at the wrong time when Mathieu van der Poel attacked with around 70km to go. From there he languished in a chasing group that remained well over a minute back on the front of the race, with no concerted effort by the pursuers to try and bridge the gap.
"When Mathieu van der Poel accelerated, I was too far back," explained Van Aert.
"That was my fault. I didn’t always have the right feeling on the cobbles. When I rode behind someone, I lost a lot of energy. Besides that, my vision got worse and worse."
Van Aert opened his 2021 road racing account with a fourth place at Strade Bianche in early March and has raced throughout the year.
He showed astonishing consistency all the way, scoring major wins at Gent-Wevelgem, Amstel Gold Race, as well as a scintillating Tour de France performance where he won three stages. His final two rides of the year however did not live up to the high expectations placed on his shoulders, not managing to get close to victory at either the World Championships nor Paris-Roubaix.
"I’m not one hundred per cent satisfied, but on the other hand, I don’t think a victory was possible today," Van Aert said.
"I’m going to take a break now; it’s been a while."
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!
I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.
It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.
After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.
When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.
My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.
-
-
Selle Italia's Greentech technology focuses on a sustainable and 100% recyclable future
In a bid to create a waste-free system and safeguard the environment, Selle Italia has rolled out its Greentech philosophy to the Model X saddle range
By Cycling Weekly • Published
-
Slow down for Essex: safety car to impose 22mph speed limit on RideLondon
Riders not allowed to pass front car during event
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Five talking points from stage seven of the Giro d'Italia 2022
What we learned from the hardest day of the race so far
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Jumbo-Visma bounce back from Etna disappointment on the road to Potenza at Giro d'Italia
Tom Dumoulin and Koen Bouwman deliver Dutch victory on stage seven
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Fan makes Sam Oomen crash post-Giro d'Italia stage five
Jumbo-Visma haven't exactly had the best luck over the opening five days
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Tom Dumoulin and Jumbo-Visma left licking wounds after first Giro d'Italia mountain test
Dutchman and teammates tumble down general classification
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Creating an icon - Behind the scenes at Paris-Roubaix Femmes
Only in its second year, the Paris-Roubaix Femmes is not just a gruelling day for the riders, but a logistical and organisational challenge for those behind the scenes - Amy Sedghi speaks to the people helping to create an icon
By Amy Sedghi • Published
-
From the cobbles to the race track: Tom Boonen is living his best life
Classic legend Tom Boonen on race car driving, Mathieu van der Poel and modern cycling
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Yves Lampaert said he used a judo move to avoid serious injury at Paris-Roubaix
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider crashed after striking a fan last Sunday
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'It is something that I will definitely never forget, it was the hardest race I've ever done' — The first dry Paris-Roubaix Femmes
In the race's second edition, everyone was having a 'completely different' experience, whether they were a veteran or a neo-pro
By Adam Becket • Published