"It was his birthday yesterday, so he can have a lot of pancakes with a good dollop of whipped cream" - Richard Plugge set to reward Jan Tratnik after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad success
Cycling
As was expected at the start of the day, Team Visma | Lease a Bike took victory of the 2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Rather than Wout van Aert, Christophe Laporte or Dylan van Baarle however, it was Jan Tratnik who secured the victory.
“We once again showed a great team effort and played it out well with the entire team. This is another very nice victory for the team," reflected a delighted boss of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Richard Plugge, in a post-race interview with Wielerflits.
Whilst Team Visma | Lease a Bike were always in a position of control, even having half on a six-man breakaway at one point, when the race was all back together for the finale, there was a brief moment where things looked like the team may have blown it. “We would have preferred to see one of those six at the front go to the line solo," admits Plugge. "At the same time, when you see how many people we have left in the last group. Then that's fine too. Wout ultimately also wins the sprint, so Jan could gamble a bit after his attack that he could stay in the wheel.”
As mentioned, Wout van Aert led home the peloton to take third, but it was Tratnik who secured victory ahead of Nils Politt. "That's really important. It is confirmation for everyone that they are doing so well. The pancakes are now for Jan. It was his birthday yesterday, so he can have a lot of pancakes with a good dollop of whipped cream, jam and candles,” laughs Plugge.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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In the end, Visma-Lease a Bike won but it wasn't as easy as we all expected. I thought the race was over with 50 km to go but it got decided only in the final sprint between Tratnik and Politt. Great winner, great edition. 👍 #OHN24
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