"I’m very happy with how I raced," reflected a more than content Van Aert in his post-race interview afterwards with Belgian media. "I didn’t burn out today. When we got back into the race towards the last time up the Oude Kwaremont, I didn’t want to just get dropped, so I wanted to try something. When you see how Tadej came by, it was definitely a smart move to try and start with a lead."
"Tadej was the strongest today. Everyone was at their limit when he made his move. It’s really gratifying for me. In the final, you hope for a spot on the podium, but I can accept fourth place," adds the
Team Visma | Lease a Bike superstar. "I knew
Mads Pedersen would go early in the sprint, but I wanted to stay in his slipstream for as long as possible to still have a chance to do something."
And with Paris-Roubaix very much in mind for the likes of Van Aert, there is now reason to be optimistic. "Yes, for sure. Even though things didn’t go as expected last Wednesday, I never lost my motivation and kept working, and it really pays off now. Especially the second time up the Kwaremont, those long efforts suited me best," he concludes.