"I am shocked by this second place”, Van Aert said. "I am delighted. This second place even feels like a reward. Of course I wanted to win this race, but after the events of the past few weeks, I can only be happy with this."

The sunny 119th edition was marked by echelons early on. Team Jumbo-Visma was represented by Mike Teunissen, Timo Roosen, Mick van Dijke and Edoardo Affini in the first echelon. Just before the difficult stretch of the Bos van Wallers, the group with Van Aert, Nathan Van Hooydonck and Christophe Laporte joined in. "We didn't have to panic or increase the pace because we were with four strong guys at the front. We stayed calm and chose the perfect position for the start of the final”, Van Aert said.

After Van Hooydonck’s last effort, Van Aert attacked on the cobbled section of Mons-en-Pévèle. A shift followed, but unfortunately, the Belgian champion had a puncture later on. On the following sections, Van Aert was still one of the best riders on the cobblestones, but the later winner had already claimed an advantage in that phase of the race.

"In the final I wanted to go for it, so I accelerated a few times. Van Baarle was one of the strongest and you know he rarely slows down. I don't have to be disappointed because I didn't expect this beforehand. I started in a free role, but I had to wait and see how it would go. I felt pretty good from the start."

Van Aert will start next Sunday in the Ardennes classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "We waited to see how it would go today. If it would go well, I would start in Liège next Sunday. With the second place in Paris-Roubaix, I don't have to worry anymore."

Sports director Grischa Niermann: "Wout was very good. Van Baarle was superior and he turned out to be the strongest. The echelon formation wasn't that bad for us, but we had bad luck, like many teams. Timo deserves a compliment because he handed his bike to Wout in the crucial Bos van Wallers."

With victories in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the E3 prize, Niermann looked back on Team Jumbo-Visma's cobbled classic season with satisfaction. "We rode in the front a lot and got a lot of podium finishes. The Ardennes classics are still to come and we will start there with a lot of confidence."