Matthews devastated by disqualification after sprint error, Politt takes podium spot: "I had to brake a bit"

Michael Matthews delivered his best performance yet at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, but his achievement turned bittersweet as the day concluded with tears. The Australian cyclist from Jayco-AlUla pushed through to a third-place finish on sheer determination, only to be later demoted to eleventh for veering off his sprint line. This shift elevated Nils Politt to third place.

Luca Mozzato, who sprinted against Matthews for Arkéa-B&B Hotels and finished second, immediately stated he found the disqualification unfair. "Sometimes you deviate from your line in a sprint; that's just part of sprinting. I thought it was fairly mild," said the Italian, who was undeniably the day's surprise. "I would have been happy with top fifteen or top twenty, and maybe, just maybe, a top ten. But second is incredible. I might have had the best day of my life in terms of how I felt on the bike. I was also lucky because I was poorly positioned on the first ascent of the Kwaremont and had to bet that others would close the gap. That gamble paid off in the end. Sometimes you need a bit of luck."

Luck might have played a part for Politt too, who lost the sprint for second and third but was later elevated to the podium. "I was initially disappointed to finish fourth right after the race, but when I got to the bus, I found out I was third. It's special to be on the podium here, my second time in a Monument after Paris-Roubaix. We deserve this as a team, with four of us in the second group; I'm proud of that," said the German from UAE-Team Emirates, who was uncertain about the sprint situation. "I was gaining speed and had to brake a bit. I feel sorry for Matthews, but it's a decision made by the jury."

Video: Matthews loses third place in Tour of Flanders