"Without that bad luck, Wout had a very good chance of winning" - Plugge rues Wout van Aert's Paris-Roubaix disaster
Cycling
Wout van Aert had very good form throughout the spring. He won the E3 Saxo Classic but in his main goals, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, he couldn't turn his form into a win. In Roubaix a puncture wrecked his chances, and team manager Richard Plugge hasn't forgotten the difficult moment.
“We were closest to it in Roubaix. We just had bad luck there. Without that bad luck, Wout had a very good chance of winning. If you puncture the Carrefour de l'Arbre, it's too late. That is so close to the finish that you cannot recover anything," Plugge told Het Laatste Nieuws. “It is true that the Ronde and Roubaix were our main goals. If that doesn't work, that's disappointing. But on the other hand: the rest of the spring makes up for a lot. We were unlucky in Roubaix. And in the Tour of Flanders, Pogacar was the very best.”
Whilst Flanders was decided on the climbs, the flat terrain of Roubaix favoured van Aert more. He initiated the decisive attack and then attacked once again at Carrefour de l'Arbre. He seemed to have the legs to take to the velodrome in position to win, but a puncture took him out at the end of the sector. Christophe Laporte suffered the same fate at the Trouée d'Arenberg.
“Puncture is a puncture. Losing because you have a puncture is completely different from losing because you are not good enough. In the end it's all about winning. Wout just rode well in Roubaix. I may not say it, but I think he was the strongest at Carrefour de l'Arbre," Plugge argues.
On Christophe Laporte, who is reported to have already renewed with Jumbo-Visma until 2026, Plugge commented: “We are talking to him. If he stays with us it will be because he is one of the best riders the peloton has. He can be used in many areas, in the classic season and in the Tour.”
Read also
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Bingo...I was going to say a 12 year obsessed Pogi fan girlie ! Like she's chasing a teen boy band! All glossy eyed about tadej!frieders312-11-2026
- That stint in the Pink was so good. If memory serves he struggled with the champagne cuz he'd never been on the podium before. I feel like it gave him some self-belief, and yeah - then the move to Visma to be one of their lieutenants has really brought him to the best version of himself.wrsty12-11-2026
- So, you never really compared Paul Seixas with his main rival Isaac Del Toro why jump to Pogačar? They've (Paul & Isaac) raced together here and there, and they've both shared in wins and losses, I think they should be compared to each other, even with Vingegaard and Remco first before even touching Pogačar. From your writing it's like he's better than Vingegaard, Remco and Del Toro already that his main target is now Pogačar 🤔Sadick11-11-2026
- gee i hope its a minor injury. a great rider and ambassador for the sport. get well soon Lucinda.
Davide11-11-2026 - some of lidl-treks retention and recruiting has been puzzling in the mens and womens teams.Davide11-11-2026
- Yeah his ride at World's was unreal. Over 6 W/kg for over an hour and a half...he single handedly destroyed the break.DAS11-11-2026
- Exactly, you hit the nail on te head.... Ayuso sucks. 3 to 4 years ago some cycling experts were comparing Ayuso as the "new Pogi"... but he's not even close to him... either physically or mentally. Capish you naive schoolboy?PogiSloFans11-11-2026
- I think they expected more from riders like Carlos Rodriguez, Vauquelin and Magnus Sheffield. Imo they should have focused on signing Primoz Roglic, at least they´d probably have had a guaranteed podium GT finisher (he still might sign for them). Now they have 2nd or third tier riders in the classics (Ben Turner, Arensman, Beloki and hopefully Onley can step up again even more). Sheffield, August, Bernal, Tarling and Geoghan Hart did not live up to the star expectations eventually..Jonatan11-11-2026
- Fuuuuuuck, Ciccone and Pidcock on the same team, attacking like crazy and taking it to the other competitors? Yes, please.Occam11-11-2026
- Oh Cameron, this win has been a long time coming! We could not be more proud. All I’ll say is: roll on Glasgow 🔥anonymouscyclist11-11-2026
Loading
Up close, it's even more beautiful. 🥰 #rideyourdreams 💭
Write a comment