Despite puncture Van Aert clocks fastest Carrefour de l'Arbre time and takes Strava-KOM at Paris-Roubaix
Cycling
Despite suffering a fateful puncture that put an end to any hopes of taking the win at Paris-Roubaix, the incredible Wout van Aert still managed to set the fastest time on the five-star strip of cobbles, Carrefour de l'Arbre.
The Strava segment of Carrefour de l'Arbre is 1.97 kilometres long with Jumbo-Visma's Belgian leader covering the cobbles in just two minutes and fifty seconds, making him the Strava-KOM. The 2nd quickest recorded time of those who have chosen to reveal them, for example, race winner Mathieu van der Poel has not fully disclosed his data, was Groupama-FDJ's Stefan Küng, nineteen seconds slower.
Had van Aert's attack not been rudely interrupted by that puncture, just how fast could the 28-year-old have gone? Well on the Hem sector of cobbles, van Aert averaged an eye-watering speed of 45.3 kilometres per hour, seven seconds faster than INEOS Grenadiers' leader Filippo Ganna.
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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