"I have never recovered so smoothly" - Are we about to see a 'super' Wout Van Aert following Paris-Roubaix win
Cycling
This spring saw the best Wout Van Aert back on the bike and he has managed to build his form and work his way into a Paris-Roubaix win. Whilst he is a very reputable rider with plenty high-quality wins in his career, it may have been the biggest and most significant. It also came at a perfect time as he managed to enjoy well deserved holidays already and admits that he has never recovered so well from a block of racing.
It was simply a dream day for the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider. Whilst it was not a smooth-sailing race, as he encountered his own mechanical problems, he had the legs and on this specific day also the required amount of luck to be able to reach the Roubaix velodrome without anyone ahead. The Belgian beat Tadej Pogacar to break a cycle of years trying to pursue a victory in one of the cobbled monuments. Despite having his best form, the fourth place the week before in Flanders showed signs of a gap to the 'big two' that was still quite significant.
But in Roubaix he won, and right after he travelled to Spain for a vacation that he had in mind already long before. "But also a very beautiful week because I was able to leave for vacation immediately. That wasn't a last-minute decision; it was already planned. With the victory in Roubaix under my belt, it couldn't have come at a better time," Van Aert said in an interview with Sporza.
Celebrations and recovery
Rest and recovery, both physical and mental, is key for professional riders, and he certainly has managed to enjoy the best of both worlds over the past week: "I toasted very often on the cobblestones together with my wife and my children. It became a bit of a running gag, which was fun. I understand, being home for a few days, that things are crazy here in Belgium. It was perhaps not a bad thing to escape that and have some quality time".
It could be a sign of change for the 31-year old, who has had bad luck throughout many instances over the past few years but seems to have clicked everything into perfection this spring. If Visma are able to have him in the same form at the Tour de France he could become a very useful weapon against UAE Team Emirates - XRG and Red Bull - BORA .- hansgrohe who will challenge Jonas Vingegaard in the fight for the overall classification.
"I have never recovered so smoothly from a classic, because I didn't feel tired at all. I could take on the world, I'd say. It was wonderful to be able to fully savor the afterglow of that, as a period of rest was approaching. Together with that Sunday, it is a week that will stay with me," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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