Wout van Aert and his Visma-Lease a Bike teammates explored most of the Paris-Roubaix route yesterday, also testing the Giro Aerohead 1.0 time trial helmet and the handlebar-controlled tire pressure system.

The Flemish rider's sensations are good, although he does not consider himself a favorite. He took a serious risk when he was traveling at full speed on the Trouée d'Arenberg sector: due to a puncture, he seriously risked falling.

The most iconic sectors of Paris-Roubaix were already full of camper vans waiting for the riders' reconnaissance on Wednesday evening: when van Aert skidded due to a front wheel puncture, there were cries of fear from the crowd who feared a crash.

Van Aert immediately demonstrated his riding skills and managed to move to a safe zone and stop. Behind him was the Visma-Lease a Bike team car, so the wheel change was done immediately. In the end, the Dutch team riders covered 130 kilometers at an average speed of over 34 kilometers per hour. They completed 21 of the 30 pavé sectors, skipping the last nine. On the five-star Arenberg section, Van Aert achieved his third-best personal time ever, despite the near-crash, with an average speed of 35.5 kilometers per hour. The same applies to the Mons-en-Pévèle sector, where the speed was 35.2 kilometers per hour. The real duel will come on Sunday, and the challenges will be on every stone sector. On Wednesday, Van Aert completed a six-hour training session, covering almost 230 kilometers in the Kempen region, and yesterday he worked on the pavé.

The Visma - Lease a Bike bus stopped yesterday morning in Maretz, a small town near the first pavé section of Paris-Roubaix. Niklas Behrens and Wout van Aert got on their bikes wearing the time trial helmet that the Flemish rider has already used in some stages of the Tour of Algarve and the Omloop het Nieuwsblad. The Aerohead 1.0 seems to potentially save ten to fifteen watts during the race. There are many advantages to this special helmet, but there are also disadvantages, as the helmet cools the head poorly and becomes impossible to use in hot weather. Sunday's temperature should be around 18 degrees, the sun won't be shining, and it might rain, so the Aerohead 1.0 could be a good option. For Visma, this Roubaix represents a true redemption, and therefore they have left nothing to chance.

All bikes will be equipped with the GRAVAA tire pressure system, which allows riders to adjust tire pressure during the race: lower on pavé sections and higher on asphalt. This can also represent a significant advantage over competitors.

We don't know if the latest test with the tire pressure system was successful. The riders will only speak on Saturday during the official team presentation, and Visma-Lease a Bike managers have not released statements after the reconnaissance. The only news comes from the team's official statements. "I've had good feelings since last week," Van Aert said before the reconnaissance. I felt very good at Through Flanders and the Tour of Flanders, and the team also raced extraordinarily. This has increased confidence. Unfortunately, I've always encountered slightly stronger riders. We'll have to compete against the same riders at Paris-Roubaix. So it will be important to develop a good plan again to surprise the favorites.