Wout van Aert suspects sabotage after glass causes puncture in comeback race

Wout van Aert's 2026 season refuses to settle. A broken ankle at the Zilvermeercross in January, illness before Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last weekend, and now a puncture with 10 kilometres left at Le Samyn that forced two bike changes and killed any hope of contesting the finish.

The rear tyre went flat as Van Aert sat near the front of the race, and teammate Pietro Mattio immediately handed over his bike. A second change followed from the team car, but by then the damage was done. The front group had split, and Van Aert found himself stranded in no man's land.

What frustrated the Belgian most was what caused the puncture. "On the last lap, there was suddenly glass on the road," Van Aert told Sporza after the finish. "That smells like sabotage."

He was quick to clarify he didn't think it was aimed at him personally, but the timing and location raised eyebrows. "It was always the same route, and then suddenly there were actual shards of glass on the road. That's a shame. I don't know how it could have accidentally ended up there if we passed there half an hour ago."

Visma's Head of Racing, Grischa Niermann, confirmed to reporters at the finish that the timing couldn't have been worse. "At that point, we were right behind a second peloton. We were about a minute and a half behind. He did get a bike from Pietro, and then he also got a new bike from us, but unfortunately, it was too late."

Despite the frustration, Van Aert wasn't entirely downbeat about his form. "The feeling was okay, nothing special to report. I would have liked to have contested the final to see how far I could go in the sprint, but before that, it was okay," said the Belgian.

Niermann shared Van Aert's feelings. "We didn't expect today to be great, but it was okay. It's just a shame he didn't get to sprint. But I do think it looked good. It would have been good to have another race under his belt heading into Strade anyway. Although we shouldn't draw too many conclusions from this race."

Van Aert now turns his attention to the aforementioned Strade Bianche on Saturday, where he'll hope to add a second Strade title to his palmarès, and also relive the sweet memories of his 2025 Giro stage win in Siena. About his build-up, Van Aert said, "It's certainly a shame that due to illness I couldn't build up the pace I had envisioned, but I hope to perform well."