Wout van Aert "everything in the body to win Roubaix and Flanders" but lacks killer instinct, Johan Museeuw believes

Wout van Aert is an incredibly talented rider and one with virtually no comparison in the peloton. However, often he's found one or two riders who topped him in his main goals. Johan Museeuw was present at Rouleur Live and talked about his compatriot who seeks to be as successful in the cobbled classics.

“Van der Poel is the first name because he won Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, and he is the world champion. He’ll be the favourite (for the Tour of Flanders, ed.), but what we’ve seen from Tadej Pogačar in the Classics is also amazing. If he comes back then he’ll try and win Flanders again. If he climbs like he did this year, then he’ll win again," Museeuw shared with GCN. "Then we have Wout van Aert. He’s won Milan-San Remo in the past, but then it stopped, so it’s time for him to focus more on the Classics. He’s not old, but it’s time for him to win. He has a zero in Flanders and Roubaix.”

Since 2020 van Aert has raced 11 monuments and his worst result was an eighth spot at the 2022 Milano-Sanremo. His consistency is almost unheard of in modern cycling, but only one resulted in victory. He's already finished second in both Flanders and Roubaix. Carrying the endurance, climbing ability and sprint he has all the cards to win monuments but the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar have often spelled disaster for the Jumbo-Visma rider.

“He’s been close but not close enough. He has already had placings in the top five and top three, but every year that you miss, it’s a year too late," the classics legend argue. "For example, Peter Sagan stopped this year, but really he was a rider who should have won Flanders and Roubaix a couple of times, and Milano-Sanremo. He won Flanders and Roubaix one time each, but if we talk about generational riders in the Classics, Tom Boonen won Roubaix four times, and three editions of Flanders."

Van Aert looked to be in the right path at Roubaix, but as has happened in the past he suffered from bad luck and punctured when launching a strong attack. A difficult situation. His talent is not doubted by anyone but the lack of wins in these races - which are ultimately his main goals - put pressure on him, specially from fans and analysts in a country that is hungry for success. “For me, van Aert misses some killer instinct to win a race. I mean, you don’t give away a race like Gent-Wevelgem. It’s not critical, and he’s kind for doing that, but at the end of your career what’s important is the races you’ve won."

"It’s not about what you’ve given away. Van der Poel is more of a killer than van Aert. Van Aert is happy to work for another rider, like in the Tour de France. Van der Poel doesn’t work for other riders. Sometimes he does the leadout for Jasper Philipsen, but that’s it," Museeuw adds, although it can be argued that both have done a significant amount of work for their teams. "He doesn’t work for another rider for three weeks. I think that van Aert can win the biggest races. He’s got everything in the body to win Roubaix and Flanders, but for the moment he’s not done it.”