๐ฅ The moment Wout van Aert got dropped with 2.7 km to go at the Belgian Gravel Championships
GravelSunday, 16 August 2026 at 20:00
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Follow us on GoogleWout van Aert and Daan Soete shared the podium at the Belgian Gravel Championships on Sunday. The two close friends broke away 22 kilometers from the finish, after which Van Aert suddenly had to let Soete go 2.7 kilometers from the finish line. Hereโs how it happened.
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It was a somewhat striking sight. While everyone assumed that the two training partners would ride to the finish line together, Soete suddenly found himself alone just under three kilometers from the finish.
The Ridley rider crossed the finish line alone a few minutes later, followed by the Visma | Lease a Bike rider. Van Aert explained exactly what had happened in his flash interview.
"I wasted a lot of energy today. Toward the end, I was on the verge of cramping up. So... yeah, I really tried to work with the others to get there, and that cost me the victory, but I'm not very disappointed," Van Aert said in his interview.
Soete said he didn't realise it at first. "When I emerged from the sand, I suddenly saw that I was alone. It was a deep patch of loose sand, and I was the only one who made it out. From that moment on, there was no looking backโit was full throttle to the finish line."
Video: Belgian National Gravel Championship Final with Wout van Aert and Daan Soete
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Quรฉ tragedia. Muito respeito para a famรญlia. The investigatorโs timeline helps, but still feels like a systemic safety failure on open-road races during descents.jeremya16-08-2026
- - Can someone explain what the broom wagon actually signifies? If it hadnโt passed, why was a civilian car allowed on course at all? Iโm confused how those protocols work when riders are scattered.tourdeforce916-08-2026
- - Sorry, but this reads a bit like passing the buck. If signage was the only control at that junction, thatโs not enough. A single marshal could have prevented this. Operational plan mightโve been followed, but was it adequate?gearguru3316-08-2026
- - If the GNR says itโs โhumanly impossibleโ to cover every access point, shouldnโt organisers rethink neutral service positioning or add mobile motos for gaps on fast descents? This was a secondary access, but speed on that downhill made it primary in practice.jennifer1916-08-2026
- - Heartbreaking. The detail about the broom wagon not yet passing is crucialโexplains why Finlay thought the road was still sealed. Condolences to his family and team. RIP Fin.robert6516-08-2026
- - Tears on the front row for NSNโฆ goosebumps. Chapeau to the bunch for letting them lead the pace. Esto es el verdadero espรญritu del ciclismo.julien15-08-2026
- - Not sure about the โput it in perspectiveโ line referencing other deaths. I get what he meant, but it lands a little cold in this context. The sport must own its safety issues.jeremya15-08-2026
- - Sorry, bit confusedโhow was Tarling racing Portugal but commemorated in Norway? Are there multiple races at the same time and teams pay tribute across events?robert6515-08-2026
- - Poels speaks from a place of pain, you can feel it. Losing Gino still casts a shadow. His point about rising frequency of tragedies is worryingโUCI needs to accelerate road safety reforms, motos, convoy management, and race routing.sprocketspiny15-08-2026
- - Heartbreaking. RIP Finlay. The neutralised start and minuteโs silence in Norway were handled with real class by the peloton.patriciaw15-08-2026
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