For a few kilometers it seemed like we had gone back a couple of years, when Van Aert and Van der Poel they were the undisputed protagonists of the Northern racesBefore Pogacar arrived and his rivals were inserted in rotation and had the names of Alaphilippe, Bettiol, Van Baarle and a few others.
The streets of the new In Flanders Field who took up the baton from Ghent-Wevelgem they caught fire on the second of three passes over the Kemmelberg and they exploded thanks to Van der Poel in the final climb. Mathieu's push was merciless, breaking Vermeersch but not Van Aert., who had to grit his teeth but was with him at the top. After seeing him win (albeit with difficulty) in Harelbeke, we knew that Van der Poel was in good form, confirmation of Van Aert's good health This is great news and brings a much-anticipated champion back to center stage.
Van Aert, glass half full
Van Aert's family was there to welcome him upon arrival, and this put him in a good mood. Also because the 35 kilometers between the summit of the Kemmelberg and the finish in Wevelgem they themselves proved to be an insurmountable wall.
«Even my eldest son was disappointed, actually – smiled Van Aert after the finish – but in the end I expected it to go like this. There were still too many teammates behind us, so the group closed in quickly. I ran well from the second Kemmel, I had a good feeling and I was also able to follow Mathieu in the final lap. I thought we had the victory in our grasp, but in the end it wasn't like that.
«We worked well together – concluded Van Aert – but Mathieu allowed himself the luxury of running a little more defensively in the final stages and this was to my disadvantage. When he reached us Alec SegaertI thought the podium was sealed and that everyone was interested in continuing, but that wasn't the case. I'm quite happy with how I ran. The result wasn't what I hoped for, but it was a good day."
Van der Poel, empty glass
Van der Poel perhaps even played, knowing that he had behind him a Philipsen in great condition (despite the slow start). It doesn't mean it was incorrect, but his changes have become less convincing since they told him over the radio that there was another potential winner in the group behind him. And then he also admitted that not feeling comfortable sprinting against the other two.
«After the effort in Harelbeke – he said – I felt like I wasn't in top formAs a team we communicated well throughout the day and We were immediately informed that Jasper (Philipsen, ed.) was still fresh, that's why I pedaled ahead knowing he was coming.
«I was receiving instructions from behind – he confirmed – I had to maintain the pace so that the riders behind me would continue pedaling too. I admit that I didn't have the freshness to keep up and so I ran defensively compared to my standards.I told the team beforehand, too. I think racing like this was the best option. It was fantastic for Philipsen to finish it like this and win a race that was still missing.».
Philipsen, very full glass
Philipsen moved like a classic sprinter in Ghent. He remained covered and was carried in the wake of the attackers, letting the team launch him into the sprint which for him at that point was almost child's play.
«I've wanted to win this race for a long time – he said in the flash interview with Sporza – it's a victory to remember. I had never had a great feeling and today it was a gamble: all or nothingAnd in the end, everything went as I hoped. With Van der Poel leading the way, we had an ideal situation for the team. He had already told us before the final that after the effort in Harelbeke he didn't have the best legs, but it's still incredible what he managed to do. I knew from experience that this was a very difficult finale."
There's one week left until Tour of Flanders and at Holy Easter in Belgium. Only Pogacar is missing from the roll call., but we know from experience that he has never had any major problems responding, taking advantage of the freshness of training at home while up here they are beating the hell out of each other. Van Aert's comeback and Vingegaard's undisputed victory at Catalunya say that Visma Lease a Bike is returning to the levels we've become accustomed toSpring heralds a potentially explosive season.
