Large flange hubs would be correct for a boom era Peugeot UO8/UO18.

One things the Debunking Wheel Stiffness article does not delve into is different materials, beyond a cursory statement of aluminum versus carbon. While steel is stiffer than aluminum, the section of an aluminum rim can be easily modified to provide a rim that is both stifferer and lighter than steel. We'd need the specifics of the subject rims but it is possible that the aluminum rim is stiffer than the steel rim.