"That guy was with Van der Poel and Pogacar in Sanremo last year" – Belgian pundit insists Wout van Aert didn’t lose Dwars door Vlaanderen, Filippo Ganna won it

Wout van Aert came within metres of victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026, only to be caught in the final sprint by Filippo Ganna after a long solo effort. The result will read as another near miss, but one of the most notable voices in Belgian cycling is painting a different picture.

“You should not underestimate Filippo Ganna,” José De Cauwer said on Sporza post-race. “That guy was with Van der Poel and Pogacar in Sanremo last year. When he is in good form, he still has a strong finish. I think it was difficult to beat him.”

Van Aert had shaped the race on the Eikenberg, forcing the decisive move before committing fully in the closing kilometres. From there, he rode alone, holding off a fragmented but gradually organising chase behind.

As the gap began to fall inside the final kilometre, the dynamic of the race shifted. Rather than a simple collective chase, it became a question of who had the final acceleration left after a high-speed, attritional day.

De Cauwer pointed to that distinction when assessing the outcome. “Certainly not, because he knows he rode a great race and made an impression,” he said, when asked whether the defeat would weigh heavily. “This Van Aert is completely ready heading into the Tour of Flanders.”

That framing moves the focus away from what Van Aert failed to do, and towards the level required to beat him on the day.

There were still moments in the finale that could be questioned. As the chase organised behind, decisions within the group began to play a role in how quickly the gap came down. “I would have blocked more aggressively and earlier,” De Cauwer said. “Sometimes that can work the other way. And then there was that late turn from Florian Vermeersch.”

The Belgian was quick to clarify that this was not about blame, but about how marginal the difference was in the final outcome. “He wants to come back, but he no longer has the acceleration of Ganna. The latter still had something left. If Vermeersch had raced it differently, they would not have come so close. But Vermeersch is racing to win.”'

Crucially, the broader conclusion remained unchanged. Van Aert’s ride, from his move on the Eikenberg to his sustained effort alone at the front, left a clear impression heading into the Tour of Flanders. “Certainly not, because he knows he rode a great race and made an impression,” De Cauwer repeated. “This Van Aert is completely ready heading into the Tour of Flanders.”

Placed alongside the earlier reference to Ganna’s level, the message was consistent. This was not a defeat that exposed weakness, but one that underlined the standard at the very top of the Classics.

Van Aert did not collapse in the finale. He was caught by a rider capable of producing a performance of the highest level, just metres from the line.