For a time, it looked like the men’s In Flanders Fields finale was going to be pure cinema, a much longed-for head-to-head fight between Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), a pair whose rivalry goes back 20 years.
It’s a battle we’ve been deprived of for some time, with the duo not directly sparring for the win in a Classic for three years now, and everyone’s mouths were watering at the possibility of an all-out sprint between the two in Wevelgem.
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It was therefore still something of a win by proxy for Van der Poel, following on from his own thriller victory on Friday – when things didn’t go the way of the chasers – and Van Aert lamented the “luxury” situation his long-time rival found himself in.
Whilst Van Aert praised the collaboration with Van der Poel, Visma sports director Arthur van Dongen was more direct in his assessment that the Dutchman was responsible for the duo not staying away – for a good reason.
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