Cries of pain, and joy. Dutch team Visma-Lease a bike had a special day on Wednesday during À Travers la Flanders. 65 kilometers from the finish, she lost her leader Vout van Aert, who fell and was forced to retire, with a sore right shoulder, which will undoubtedly have consequences for the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. A full hour later, the Dutch team saw another of its riders win in the person of Matteo Jorgensen.
The 24-year-old American won alone after a fierce attack 7 kilometers from the finish, which none of his teammates were able to follow. And for good reason: they were already well worn by Jorgensen’s model teammate Tiez Bennot, who had three attacks in the final and made opponents work, especially Stefan Kung.
Eklawaya kung, “tense” Betiol
The Swiss of Groupma-FDJ was undoubtedly the strongest at the front but paid for his numerical inferiority and finished third, beaten in the sprint by Jonas Abrahamsen (UNO-X), the incredible Norwegian who survived the day’s breakaway, as did Dries de Bond (Decathlon -AG2R La Mondial), fifth. Before that, Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-Easypost) attempted a foreboding 23 kilometers from the finish, before suffering a cramp a few minutes later.
“Our strategy was to be outnumbered in the final, and without the ties, I probably wouldn’t have won”declared Jorgensen who explained that Van Aert experienced the accident “A racing incident, but we put it all aside and carried on together.” Already the winner of Paris-Nice earlier in the month, the American, who passed through Chambery and defected from Movistar last winter, lives on. “Dream season is incredible”He tasted it.
Many favorites on the ground
But the race was most marked by a heavy fall that knocked the favourite, Wout van Aert, who could be heard screaming in pain on the ground, and several outsiders. Like the Belgian, Jasper Stuyven (Liddle-Trek) had to be carried off on a stretcher. Biniam Girme (Intermarche-Venti) was forced to retire, while Mads Pedersen, winner of Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday, also fell but was able to restart, as was winner of Milan-San Remo Jasper Philipsen.
Everyone’s fitness levels will be closely monitored before the Tour of Flanders begins on Sunday. On the French side, note the great day of Thomas Gachignard (Total Energies), in a good breakaway and who knew how to hang on to finish in the top 10 in Vergeme (10th).
