Paris-Roubaix contender Wout van Aert says he's still 'suffering' from Flanders crash - ‘I could be better’

Wout van Aert says he isn’t feeling in top shape ahead of his bid for Paris-Roubaix glory on Sunday as the Belgian continues to recover from a nasty crash at the Tour of Flanders. The Jumbo-Visma rider finished fourth at last weekend's cobbled Classic and was left with a bloodied knee after going down with 141km remaining. Ad Van Aert is expected to face off with rival Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) at the hotly anticipated 120th edition of the ‘Hell of the North’ Monument in northern France.

ScheldeprijsPhilipsen takes victory at Scheldeprijs in sprint ahead of CavendishYESTERDAY AT 16:01 But he told reporters that he’s still not feeling at his best. «I'm suffering a little bit from my knee and ribs after the crash in Flanders, a bit more than I initially thought on Sunday,» Van Aert said. «Until now I've not really had a great feeling on the bike in the last few days.

“I did two decent trainings yesterday and today and I hope I can recover a bit more before Sunday and find my legs again. I could be better.” 'There is no other Classic like Paris-Roubaix' — Vos exclusive ‘I am 100% ready for Paris-Roubaix’ — Van der Poel 'I need to gain a few kilos' – Pogacar hints at Paris-Roubaix bid in future The cobble-strewn course of northern France provides a demanding challenge for any rider, but Van Aert’s comments were in stark contrast to his rival Van der Poel. The Dutchman said a day earlier that he was “100 per cent ready” for the race after a second-placed finish behind Tadej Pogacar in Flanders, but Van Aert is trying to avoid dwelling too much on that race.

“I just accept what happened. I got dropped by two riders who were just stronger last Sunday and that's definitely not a shame,” said Van Aert. “I believe