“I have to thank Mads Pedersen for an amazing ride, we worked well together” - Wout van Aert falls short of podium in “crazy” Flanders finale

Wout van Aert was left to settle for fourth place at the 2026 Tour of Flanders, narrowly missing out on the podium after a relentless and fragmented finale that saw the race explode on the decisive climbs.

In a race ultimately won by Tadej Pogacar ahead of Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel, Van Aert found himself just behind the decisive moves, before forming part of a chasing duo with Mads Pedersen as the race split into individual battles all the way to Oudenaarde.

Van Aert admitted afterwards that the race had already begun to slip away earlier than expected, pointing to the Molenberg as the moment things truly ignited. “I was a bit surprised,” he said in conversation with Cycling Pro Net. “I was a bit far back, and I have to thank my teammates for bringing me to a good position just before the Molenberg because it was already a crucial moment.”

From there, the Belgian found himself in a relatively controlled situation alongside Christophe Laporte, allowing him to conserve energy rather than contribute to the chase. “It was not a bad situation. I had Laporte with me, and there was no reason for us to pull, so we could sit on,” he explained, before adding that he reached the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont exactly as planned. “I came to the second time Kwaremont how I wanted, and then it was just the legs.”

When Pogacar launched his decisive acceleration on the Kwaremont, Van Aert was initially able to respond, but could not sustain the pace as the race’s strongest trio broke clear.

From that point on, the fight shifted towards the podium positions, with Van Aert linking up with Pedersen in an effort to limit losses and potentially bridge back if the leaders hesitated.

“I knew we would only come back if they looked to each other in the front, but still, then you have to believe in it,” Van Aert said. “I have to thank Mads for an amazing ride. We worked well together. It was not meant to be to come back, but we did what we could.”

As the race entered its final phase, cooperation gave way to survival, with gaps opening across the road and each rider left to manage their own effort. “It was a crazy final,” Van Aert reflected. “Everybody by his own to the line.”

Despite missing out on the podium once again in Flanders, the Belgian struck a measured tone when assessing his performance. “I’m happy with my performance at least. I hoped for a little bit more, maybe, but this was everything that was possible today.”

Van Aert ultimately crossed the line in fourth place, just over two minutes down on Pogacar, having edged clear of Pedersen in the closing kilometres to secure the best result available after the race’s decisive moment had already passed.