Wout van Aert will be "gutted, absolutely gutted” believes Adam Blythe following "a faultless race"

It is the belief of Eurosport analyst and ex-pro Adam Blythe that Wout van Aert will have awoken the morning following Paris-Roubaix 2023 "absolutely gutted." According to the Englishman, van Aert had ridden "a faultless race" before his untimely puncture.

The latest disappointment for van Aert comes just a week after only finishing fourth at the Tour of Flanders. “I think he’ll be fine with Flanders because he just didn’t have the legs. It wasn’t down to a mechanical,” says the former British national road race champion, Blythe on The Breakaway on Eurosport.  “Today will hurt. It will cut quite deep, having a puncture."

Prior to having one of the worst-timed punctures in cycling history, van Aert had looked imperious. Chasing down every van der Poel attack and seemingly riding like the man to beat. "A faultless race from him, followed the moves, didn’t do too much work," Blythe continues.

“He probably did the least amount of work in that group he was in," explains the Eurosport analyst. "For who he is, it’s very surprising. He should have been doing a lot more really. So for him to come away with a puncture and third place, he’ll be gutted. Absolutely gutted.”