Between the Visma Lease a Bike rider and the Waregem race, things are going badly… Two years ago, he was one of the victims of the terrible fall which sent some of the favorites to the ground. He courageously returned a year later and seemed to be heading towards a symbolic victory before experiencing terrible disillusionment, when Neilson Powless overtook him to win in the leading quartet while the Belgian was surrounded by his teammates Benoot and Jorgenson.
“This place is cursed”he said when he got off his bike. After his new second place. “I believed in victoryadds the one who started 40 miles from the goal to join the lead of the race with Romain Grégoire and Niklas Larsen. I felt the pace was dropping in our group and as I felt the strongest, I continued alone when I heard the gap to the peloton was closing.”
The disappointment was once again palpable in van Aert’s speech. This new episode will further strengthen its… popularity. The disappointed clamor was also very loud at the finish line this Wednesday… But he is meeting his supporters at the Tour of Flanders. “The legs are good… I just missed 150 meters. But I’m ready for Sunday.”
Stan Dewulf, the peloton’s brewer: “Beer and Flandrian classics go together…”
