wout van aert statement to evenepoel victory at olympics but laments harshly after crash ruining his chances: “i knew i had the legs to do but hes action did not do…”

 

Wout van Aert’s preparation for the Olympic Games underwent significant changes leading up to the pivotal race. Despite arriving with a different strategy than initially planned, van Aert’s performance in Paris demonstrated his resilience and capability, as he played a crucial role in the team’s success.

However, his personal ambitions were thwarted by a crash in the final moments of the race, which left him lamenting what could have been.

In an interview with VTM, van Aert reflected on his mixed emotions following the race. “I have mixed feelings about this. I also had expectations for today. I was still

able to play my part in the final. But when I fell, I was no longer focused on the race,” he said.

Belgium’s strategic approach in the race seemed to be well-executed, effectively neutralizing threats from rivals like Mathieu van der Poel until a decisive moment allowed Remco Evenepoel to seize victory.

As the peloton entered the final circuit in Paris, van Aert was the first to react to an attack by van der Poel. “I may not have felt great at first, but at that moment I knew I had the legs to do something great.

There are few who can respond to an attack by Mathieu,” van Aert noted. He was soon joined by Julian Alaphilippe, Matteo Jorgenson, and Toms Skujins, but their efforts were complicated by the regrouping of additional riders from behind.

Van Aert expressed his surprise at the large group that formed despite their fast pace. Among those riders was Remco Evenepoel, who, despite not having the explosive power to match the initial attack, showed impressive strength.

“I saw Remco take off like a rocket. It was up to him to choose a tough moment between the climbs. That way I was sitting in an armchair and could follow others. I knew it was a golden moment,” van Aert explained. Evenepoel’s decisive move and the lack of a response from others allowed him to secure the win.

Van Aert’s role in the race was primarily focused on marking van der Poel and preventing him from bridging the gap to the front group. “We were shadowing each other. We realized that we were not riding for the medals.

For me, it was for a place of honor, but I was able to play my part. Remco started from the right place and was the strongest,” he acknowledged. However, the race did not end as van Aert had hoped. Despite a valiant effort, he crashed into the barriers in the final kilometers, which relegated him to 37th place.

Reflecting on the crash, van Aert admitted, “We went into that corner thinking it was a gentle corner. It was much more of a chicane than I had anticipated.

But I wasn’t riding for a good position anymore.” Although the crash dashed his hopes for a top finish, van Aert’s contribution to the race and his team’s overall success remained noteworthy.