Le Samyn organisers react in surprise to Van Aert: ‘Sabotage? Did Wout say that?’

Van Aert returned to road racing in Le Samyn after missing Omloop Het Nieuwsblad through illness. His condition was therefore still something of a question mark, but even in Belgium he never really got the chance to test himself properly in the finale. Van Aert did tell IDLProCycling.com after the finish that the sensations were positive — but that the puncture left him especially frustrated.

The Visma leader even suggested it might not have been “just bad luck”. Van Aert said afterwards that it “smelled like sabotage”, pointing to the idea that there were suddenly shards of glass on the road in the final lap that had not been there earlier in the race — while also stressing that it was not necessarily directed specifically at him.

Those remarks inevitably drew attention towards the organisers. Race director Ludwig De Winter reacted with surprise in comments to Sporza. ‘Sabotage? Did Wout say that?’ said De Winter. ‘I have to admit I didn’t follow all the post-race reactions closely, but we haven’t heard anything about glass shards or sabotage,’ he continued.

De Winter mainly pointed to more ordinary explanations. ‘In a race like the Ename Samyn Classic, punctures happen. That was the case yesterday as well, especially on or just after the cobbled sectors.’ The former pro therefore believes Van Aert simply ran into “unfortunate coincidence”.

A deliberate act involving glass shards seemed extremely unlikely to him. ‘We already had a debrief with the police and public-order services yesterday, and nothing suspicious was reported. If it was sabotage, then Van Aert wouldn’t have been the only victim, would he?’ De Winter asked.

Still, the Belgian said he understands his fellow countryman’s frustration and does not blame him for speaking out. ‘It’s mainly a shame for Wout himself. Personally, I admire him hugely — the way he races and his perseverance. This reaction doesn’t change any of that,’ De Winter added with a laugh.