"Many riders wait until Tadej goes, but then it's actually too late" - Gianni Vermeersch unable to stop inevitable Pogacar at Strade Bianche 2025
CyclingSunday, 09 March 2025 at 02:00
Even without Wout van Aert, three Belgian riders secured top-ten finishes at Strade
Bianche, but once again, the race was dominated by Tadej Pogacar, who delivered
another stunning performance on the gravel roads of Tuscany. The sheer
intensity of the race pushed many riders to their limits, with the final hour
proving to be a true test of endurance.
Gianni Vermeersch secured an excellent seventh place, a result that left him satisfied but still with a sense of what could have been, as he spoke to Nieuwsblad after the race.
"I said beforehand that top ten would be great, so I'm
very happy with seventh place. When it split in our chasing group I had just
been behind a water bottle. Too bad, but I already felt cramps coming. The
light went out for a moment."
Vermeersch, like many others, acknowledged the difficulty of
responding to Pogacar’s attacks, which often come too late for most to react. The Slovenian, once again was on another level today.
"Many riders wait until Tadej goes, but then it's
actually too late. The Strade has always been one of my favourite races. I was
fourteenth once, but this seventh place means just that little bit more and I'm
going to cherish it."
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Excellent point about when it’s too late to respond. I was watching the ‘23 Flanders race again, and the break, the bridge, and Mads Peterson all did the right thing. Not enough, but still, the attempt was the thing. I love watching Pogacar race, but I am really hoping for more of that kind of early hard attack in the coming months.