Wout van Aert and Visma | Lease a Bike deliver final verdict after Tour of Flanders

For a brief moment, Van Aert looked as if he might have miracle legs. When Pogačar launched hard on the penultimate ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, Van Aert was right there on his wheel in the yellow-and-black jersey and Red Bull helmet. But the climb proved just a little too long for him, and once he cracked, he never saw the front of the race again.

In the end, Van Aert fought his way to fourth place, still holding off Mads Pedersen. However, it was not what he had come for. "The legs spoke today," was the honest verdict of the Belgian afterwards. For once it was not due to external factors.

“I was well positioned going into the Oude Kwaremont for the second time, but in the end I just couldn’t hold on for long enough. At the end, I blew up a little, which is something I’m quite disappointed about.” he continued, sounding honest.

And so Van Aert found himself in a battle for fourth place, in which he eventually lost Pedersen. “Mads and I worked well together in the chase, after which I kept fighting all the way to the finish. I’m satisfied with my performance, but I had hoped for a better result.”

Team manager Grischa Niermann also agreed. “Unfortunately, Wout just couldn’t quite go with them, but the pecking order was clear today. Pogacar was by far the strongest. Wout can be proud of the race he rode. There were simply three riders who were stronger. Christophe also rode a strong race.”