Eddy Planckaert warns teams ahead of Tour of Flanders - "Laporte is a golden guy, better watch out for that Frenchman on Sunday"

The cycling world has been abuzz with Christophe Laporte's recent win in the Dwars door Vlaanderen, and Eddy Planckaert suggests that he could pose a similar threat in the Tour of Flanders if his opponents don't proceed with caution.

"He is a world-class cyclist. We may underestimate him, but if you look at his results: he wins his stages in the Tour de France and Paris-Nice," Planckaert said while appearing on Vive le Velo. He continues, "In Dwars door Vlaanderen, it looked like he was riding away on tiptoes, but that was very fast, very quick."

While van Aert may be the centre of attention, Planckaert cautions teams not to underestimate Laporte's capabilities, as he is a powerful competitor who should not be ignored. "Christophe may not have been as good as Wout van Aert in Gent-Wevelgem, but he also rides that race like a beast. They better watch out for that Frenchman on Sunday, that could be a spearhead while we all expect them to go one hundred per cent for Van Aert.”

While the big three will undoubtedly dominate the race, Planckaert reminds that cycling is an unpredictable sport, where anything can happen. "There are other tactics possible, they are not just going to ride to the Kwaremont with those three. If that happens, I don't know anything about cycling anymore. Mix it up, apply different tactics: then Laporte is a golden guy," Planckaert concluded.