"Jan Tratnik was playing with me" - Nils Politt comes second after being edged out in sprint for the line at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

In a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Nils Politt and Jan Tratnik went under the flamme rouge with victory assured for one of them. Sadly for the German powerhouse, it was Tratnik who sprinted to the top step of the podium.

“It is now the second time that I have finished second like this. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike's were very strong today. They immediately solidified the course," reflected the UAE Team Emirates man in his post-race interview. "At the end I knew there were some fast guys behind us. So I'm happy that I could take second place for our team.”

Whilst Visma were unquestionably strong, UAE Team Emirates also showed well, although Politt admits he wasn't their pre-race choice to challenge for the final podium. “Our plan was that Tim Wellens would try something. He managed to cross over to the leading group," he explains. "I came from the background and saw Tratnik go. Visma had a lot of men in the group, so I knew I had to go with one of them.”

“We had to push, because the race was for Arnaud De Lie. Tratnik was playing with me a bit. He said he couldn't really continue and that I had to take the lead. I was already badly demolished, but a second place was better than nothing. So I fell short at the finish,” Politt concludes. “Today I felt very good. It's very nice to start the season like this in a big race. Now I hope I can continue this in the coming weeks.”