“I think I can head into next week with confidence” – Jasper Stuyven impresses himself with form at Tour of Flanders

Tadej Pogacar delivered a sensational ride to win the Tour of Flanders, cementing his number one status with a solo victory. Behind him, Mads Pedersen put in a brilliant performance to finish second, outsprinting Mathieu van der Poel, who had to settle for third.

Jasper Stuyven crossed the line in fifth and played a pivotal role in setting up his Lidl–Trek teammate’s result. Reflecting on the race in a team press release, Stuyven shared his thoughts on the closing kilometres and his tactical decisions.

“I had said I was up for trying to jump away at the end, but with the headwind, I just couldn’t get away from the other three. So I decided to keep the pace high — that would suit Mads better in a sprint against Mathieu for the podium.

Stuyven's attempt to sprint for second in the final kilometre ultimately came up short, but he still found reasons to be positive and rightfully so.

“But I think the strongest rider was at the front. We fought hard, and I felt like everyone had a rough patch on the various climbs, but it’s hard to analyse everything right now. After the Paterberg, I definitely wanted to do most of the work. I think I can head into next week with confidence.”