“It’s a victory for cycling” - British pundit admits TNT studio all wanted Wout van Aert to beat Tadej Pogacar at Paris-Roubaix
Cycling
For all the unpredictability of Paris-Roubaix, one detail from inside the TNT Sports studio offers a revealing insight into how the race was felt beyond the cobbles.
Speaking on The Gruppetto with commentator Rob Hatch, Matt Stephens admitted that those covering the race had quietly aligned behind one outcome. “I think it’s fair to say, even off camera before the show, before commentating, all of us would have wanted a Wout van Aert victory,” he said.
Alongside presenter Orla Chennaoui and fellow pundits Sean Kelly and Adam Blythe, Stephens’ reaction reflected more than just personal preference. It spoke to the wider sense of what the result represented.
“I think it’s a victory for cycling,” he added. “It’s not a redemptive win, it’s just an important win because he’s such a class act on the bike and off the bike.”
A narrative that shifted during the race
That sentiment stands in contrast to how the race had been framed beforehand.
As Hatch himself acknowledged, much of the pre-race focus had centred on Tadej Pogacar. “What a story. All the talk beforehand about Pogacar, we were all guilty of it for obvious reasons. The editorial was there. Van Aert didn’t really figure in that conversation,” Hatch said.
It was a reflection of the expectations surrounding the world champion’s ambitions on the cobbles, but one that quickly shifted as the race unfolded. “We knew he’d been building well, but what a race and what a winner.”
Van Aert took an emotional win in the velodrome
A victory that felt earned
For Wout van Aert, the result carried a weight that extended beyond the finish line in Roubaix.
Stephens pointed to the broader journey that led to this moment, highlighting both form and resilience across the spring. “He’s just chipped away this season, got better and better and better,” he said. “It’s his second Monument win, but he had to go so deep today. He had his fair share of bad luck as well, but just the story leading to this point…”
Moments earlier in the campaign had already underlined that standing within the peloton. “That’s the thing about what we saw the other day, wasn’t it? Mads Pedersen coming and congratulating him when he was caught by Ganna at Dwars door Vlaanderen,” Stephens added. “So yeah… it just feels right for Wout to be a winner of Paris-Roubaix.”
That shift, from expectation to outcome, is what defines this edition. Inside the studio and on the road, the story evolved in real time. And by the end, the sense of what the result meant extended far beyond the race itself.
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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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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