Mathieu van der Poel's defeat against Mads Pedersen not key for Flanders, Alpecin-Deceuninck manager argues: "There is no shame in being beaten by Mads Pedersen"

Alpecin-Deceuninck came away with second in both the sprint for victory and podium at Gent Wevelgem, a disappointing result at the end of the day but one that is not critical ahead of the Tour of Flanders says team manager Philip Roodhoft.

“It would have been nice if Mathieu [van der Poel] had won, but I think we can and should be satisfied with today's race," team manager Philip Roodhoft said to Wielerflits following the race. "There is no shame in being beaten by Mads Pedersen. They both rode towards the sprint with an open mind and Pedersen was the strongest there. He tackled the sprint in a sensible way with a high basic speed and started from far enough away.”

The race saw strong tailwinds after the climbs which favoured those who moved during the climbs. It was a full-on race from the start which allowed van der Poel and Mads Pedersen to make the difference. “Mathieu could perhaps have been less generous in the effort along the way, but no one says the result would have been different. I think he rode a good race, which could have been a little less exuberant."

"But we shouldn't necessarily see that as something negative. He also made a big effort last Friday. He didn't win, but in the end only one wins. He would have preferred to win, but he won't be super disappointed. He went out with Pedersen, who rode the race in a very nice and honest way. In an honest sprint he was beaten by someone who was stronger. He will be able to live with that.”

Ultimately, Flanders will be a race with more climbs and more opportunities to make the difference. Van der Poel was head and shoulders above the Dane at the E3 Saxo Classic which had a similar route; but Wout van Aert also looked sharp and at this time all three could go into Flanders almost evenly matched.

“If we see today's Pedersen and Friday's, it's a completely different story. As it happens, after Friday commentators were quite adamant that there were only two favorites for the Tour. Pedersen has shown that that statement can already be thrown in the trash," Roodhoft assures. "Today he has presented himself as a full candidate. This ensures that Lidl-Trek will also take responsibility. Or does that make it harder or easier? We'll see about that.”