"I couldn’t even watch anymore" - Wout van Aert’s former teammate talks about the emotions he experienced in Roubaix

Wout van Aert finally ticked off one of the biggest goals of his career on Sunday, winning Paris-Roubaix after years of bad luck and near-misses on the cobbles.

Among those watching from the Roubaix velodrome was Nathan Van Hooydonck, a former teammate and one of his most loyal domestiques. Forced to retire at the end of 2023 due to heart problems, the Belgian followed the finale with visible tension before celebrating a victory that carried special meaning.

“This definitely means a lot to me. If something like this doesn’t mean a lot to you, then you’re probably in the wrong job,” said the Belgian to wielerflits, who now works in the commercial department of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. “I think this is fantastic, truly unbelievable.”

Van Hooydonck’s career was closely tied to Van Aert’s rise, often riding in support roles in the biggest races on the calendar. Seeing his former leader win on cycling’s toughest stage clearly struck a chord.

“I owe a lot to Wout myself. My career grew because I was able to race with him. This is what I always wanted to achieve, to win a Monument together, as a team. I had never managed that before, but now that everything is finally coming together, that everything is falling into place, it’s almost impossible to describe.”

As the race built towards its conclusion, the tension in Roubaix became almost unbearable. Van Hooydonck admitted he could barely watch as Van Aert battled for victory.

“I was incredibly nervous during the finale. I was already very tense in Dwars door Vlaanderen, when he was out front alone for such a long time. I imagined that same scenario playing out in Paris-Roubaix. In the end, I couldn’t even watch anymore."

"I was standing in the velodrome with my hands in front of my eyes. I was going by the sound. When I finally looked, I saw he had about five metres on Pogacar. That’s when I knew, he wasn’t going to let it slip."

Up against world champion Tadej Pogacar, the way Van Aert finished the job left no doubts, according to his former teammate.

“The way he finished it, against world champion Pogacar, shows what a great champion Van Aert is. A lot of people doubted him, but I’m very happy that today he has made his career even more complete.”

Whether this victory represents a form of redemption is open to debate, but for Van Hooydonck it adds another layer to an already outstanding career.

“Is this a kind of redemption? Maybe, but I wouldn’t quite call it that. He has already had a wonderful career. This will take some pressure off him for next year, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be any less hungry at the start.”