See them there 50 maybe 60 meters away but don't open the throttle all the way to close. Who knows what Wout Van Aert must have thought when he arrived in Via Roma? One of the three "superheroes" was clearly the most pronounced in that situation, also because he was the fastest. The others left it up to him to close the deal. Stuyven e Kragh Andersen, at least until you reach the limit and Van der Poel he started off very long, desperately.
It's your turn, friend.
Wout is friends with Jasper Stuyven, so let's consider that too. "I had two choices: I tried to close on Jasper and he didn't win, but neither did I, and someone took advantage. Or I waited a little longer for someone to make a move. It's very difficult tactically in those situations to make the right choice. Then Van der Poel took off early, I followed him and in the final others also passed me."
This confirms, as we wrote yesterday, that when you're too much of a favorite, things rarely go according to plan. The race remains stalled, waiting for a move from one contender or another. Having played a Tirreno-Adriatico at that level it was almost counterproductive if you think about the explosive Sanremo that was expected.
Too many sprinters on the Poggio
Van Aert, however, rode well for himself. Ultimately, he was the only one of the three to do anything on the Cipressa. Not directly, of course, but he started pulling. Sam Oomen. The Dutch climber set a very high pace which prevented any further action.
"I wanted to protect myself from the attacks (my thoughts are primarily on Van der Poel, ed.). I wanted to stay like this at least until the Poggio. Then there would clearly be a fight there."
Ultimately, Wout could afford the sprint. And all things considered, the Belgian's race had been ideal up to that point. He just had to keep his antennae level on the Poggio. And in fact he took it in the first positions, pedaling composedly just behind Ganna and as soon as it moves Alaphilippe it's a cat that gets on its wheel. And for a while it even raised the stakes (as seen in the opening photo).
"Leaving with him," Van Aert continues, "would have been ideal, especially with so many sprinters in the group." Starting with Caleb Ewan, who by then had perhaps become Wout's number one concern. That was the key moment in his Sanremo: not being able to leave with Alaphilippe and very few others.
Van Aert is already in the North
After his arrival, the media, especially in Northern Europe, "kidnapped" the ace of Jumbo Visma. Behind the stage they interview him for hours. Next to him are the other two on the podium. and looking at their faces, Van Aert seems to be the most relaxed, the freshest. And all in all, the fact that a fellow countryman and friend of his won comforts him for not being able to repeat his success. Even if he admits to being disappointed.
«I had the legs to win, but the situation was too complicated with a friend up front, but also with everyone else».
After the Tirreno, he and his team headed to Imola. They stopped there. Wout may have even ridden some of the World Championships, and the images of the two silver medals (time trial and road race) must have flashed before his mind. He wasn't looking for another placing at Sanremo. However, the team reports Van Aert being as calm and available as ever, one of the few who hadn't even attempted the finale. Better to head straight back with the number one on his back.
"Okay, I didn't win," Van Aert concluded, "but there's no need to despair. At the end of the day, there are Flanders, Roubaix, and other classics. I have three very interesting weeks ahead of me."
