And on the very rolling course designed not far from the beaches of the Costa Blanca, he struggled to overcome his opponents. At the end of the first lap, the rider from Visma | Lease a Bike was stuck in… nineteenth place, at the heart of the pack in single file. “It lasted a long time before I managed to catch up with the leading group after a bad starthe explained upon arrival, notably to Wielerflits. I had just worked a lot in the last few days, during an internship, and I didn’t feel very fresh. I quickly felt that it wasn’t going to be my day.”
But Wout van Aert remained true to himself. Diligent and determined, he managed to create an illusion in the final after having played for a long time in the main group, led by the Sauces Pauwels duo, with an Eli Iserbyt in clear recovery of form and the leader of the Coupe du world Michaël Vanthourenhout. “In the last laps, I had to bet on an accelerationpour suit Wout van Aert. I wanted to save myself for the end of the race, but I had to close the gap on the penultimate lap on Eli Iserbyt and Lars van der Haar.” With acceleration on the falsely rising cycle path on which he made an impression, releasing a hell of a lot of power. Before having to catch his breath in the same place, a lap later, during the last passage at this strategic place on the course, when the European champion Thibau Nys accelerated there to take off for victory. “I then saw Nys leave: what he did was incredibly strong. Hats off to him.”
gullI was never in the race. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t have the legs to make a difference.
The Belgian, whose objectives are more distant, fixed on the Flandrian classics campaign, when the cyclo-cross season is over, was calm about his fourth place. “It was a super quick event and I didn’t feel great about it. I was never in the race. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t have the legs to make a difference. I think I will be fresher next week and I hope to finish strong in Maasmechelen.”
-Or next Saturday, for his last event of the season. And a reunion with Mathieu van der Poel, who must resume there.
Where and when will Pogacar, Evenepoel and Vingegaard meet in the race?
