Belgian rider Wout Van Aert said he suspects "sabotage" after his return to racing at the Samyn Classic was ruined by a late puncture.

Van Aert returned to competition in the one-day event in Belgium on Tuesday after suffering a fractured ankle in a cyclo-cross race in January.

But his hopes of a comeback victory were dashed by a puncture with 10km remaining in the race.

"Suddenly, there were a lot of shards of glass on the road. It wasn't deliberately aimed at me," Van Aert told Sporza after the race, in which he eventually finished 60th.

He said riders had already passed that section of the course five or six times earlier in the race without any problems, meaning the glass "couldn't have ended up there by accident."

Strade Bianche 2026 Next Target For Wout Van Aert

"Anyway, I tried to give chase, but you know you're not going to ride faster than a peloton on your own... It smells like sabotage," Van Aert added.

Van Aert will return to action on Saturday at Strade Bianche in Italy, a race he won in 2020.