Tadej Pogacar experienced in 2025 what it was like to lose Paris-Roubaix to a cyclocross specialist in Mathieu van der Poel. Fast forward 12 months, and it was Wout Van Aert who came in the way of the Slovenian's dream of completing the monument list on the Hell of the North. It was a race where ba...

Wout van Aert just won his first Paris-Roubaix on his trusty Cervlo S5 aero bike, outsprinting Tadej Pogaar in the famous Roubaix velodrome. Unlike Pogaars wild Colnago Y1Rs, his bike didnt feature any particularly progressive or experimental spec choices the Belgian superstar stuck with a tried-and-tested setup that doesn't deviate greatly from his day-to-day race bike. Where hyper-specialist bikes once ruled the roost, van Aert's bike shows just how much Roubaix tech has changed in a few short years. Let's take a closer look at the bike that conquered the Queen of the Classics. Read more: Wout van Aert has just won the fastest-ever edition of Paris-Roubaix how does it compare to the top 10? Van Aert's Cervlo S5's spec hasn't changed much in a several years. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Van Aert sets his S5 up slammed, with the twin-vane handlebar fitting flushly with the top tube. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Van Aert was running a 1x SRAM Red AXS drivetrain, with a 56T front chainring. Visma-Lease a Bike waxes its chains for the entire team. Van Aert was running 32mm Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres. This was the standard choice across the pro peloton at this year's race. However, unlike some of his teammates on the men's and women's Visma-Lease a Bike Squads, van Aert chose not to have his tyres glued to the rim for this year's race. The has previously claimed this helps with re-sealing in the event of a tyre burp or if the rim should suffer a minor crack. The front tyre measured out at just shy of 34mm wide on his Reserve 42 front wheel. This features a 25.4mm wide internal channel, with a mini hook design. The tyres were just 33mm wide on the Reserve 49 rear wheel, thanks to the rear wheel's narrower 24.8mm internal rim channel. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media This setup left ample clearance under the S5's fork crown. In any case, had van Aert had designs on going any wider like Pogaar, he would have needed to switch to the slower Corsa Pro Control tyre because the Corsa Pro tops out at 32mm. Van Aert used a Garmin Edge 850 bike computer and ensured it wasn't going anywhere in the event of a spill by using the tether. Thankfully, he dodged disaster in this year's race to take the win. Van Aert's bike featured the same black tape over the seatpost cavity as Pauline Ferrand-Prvot's bike. This stop grit getting into the hole, and may even provide a microscopic aero advantage. Van Aert was using the new Prologo Choice saddle. This features two carbon wings that shroud the carbon rails inside. This is said to confer a small aerodynamic benefit, while the 3D-printed padding is customised to suit van Aert's personal needs. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Van Aert stays sponsor-correct with his Wahoo Speedplay pedals. The golf ball-like dimples underneath, which are also said to help smooth airflow. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Van Aert's bike takes pride of place on the Roubaix Velodrome infield after his victory. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media

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