"I have never recovered so smoothly" - Are we about to see a 'super' Wout Van Aert following Paris-Roubaix win

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.

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.