"Obviously I came to win" - Wout van Aert disappointed after another near-miss

Wout van Aert was one of the favourites to take the stage win today, and after beating most specialists including Filippo Ganna his win seemed almost certain. It wasn't until Yves Lampaert crossed the line that the Jumbo-Visma rider saw the yellow jersey fly away from his shoulders.

“Obviously I came to win," van Aert said after the finish. "I had the fastest time at the finish, I had already beaten some nice names. Yes, but you don't buy anything for that. It would also be very silly to say that it is due to the circumstances.

In a day marked by the rain, the former Belgian national champion didn't see it as a decisive factor as he detailed what he saw: "I think everyone has definitely ridden on wet roads so far, so I think Yves just rode faster," he added.

"I actually thought Yves was the last specialist, on paper, but I just wanted to wait until everyone had ridden. That was apparently with good reason, chapeau to Yves," van Aert added. His compatriot took four seconds on him at the line, and consequently the stage win.

With this second place, van Aert also seemed to not suffer any issues with his slightly injured knee, a good sign of what's to come for the coming weeks. “Yes, I do. I don't think I was going too fast in the corners, but I had good lines. I have nothing to blame. It went forward. For now I have the second time, which also proves that I rode fast," he concluded.

Despite the near-miss, he's taken important points for the green jersey - which he will be wearing tomorrow - and also is within a real possibility of pulling on yellow in the upcoming days.