"They deserved at least a podium" - Wout van Aert disappointed by not delivering podium result for Jumbo-Visma

Wout van Aert was seeking victory at the Tour of Flanders. His plans weren't successful on what was a dramatic and incredibly difficult day. The Jumbo-Visma rider finished fourth and was disappointed with the outcome of the race.

“The race went well for our team for a long time. Nathan Van Hooydonck was part of a dangerous group and we shouldn't ride like that at the front and back. But it went hand-to-hand a little faster than we had hoped. Pogacar and Van der Poel turned out to be stronger then”, van Aert said in a post-race interview. The team had riders involved in crashes early on, but it wasn't a meaningful hit for their chances.

Nathan van Hooydonck followed the early attack of a strong group that went up the road and allowed for the Dutch team to save their cards for later. Tiesj Benoot wasn't active on the day, but both Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte managed to respond. Only van Aert did when Pogacar attacked at the Koppenberg, and he himself cracked when van der Poel accelerated at the Kruisberg.

"I was a bit surprised by Mathieu van der Poel's bomb," van Aert recalls that moment. "Perhaps my mind was already too preoccupied with what was yet to come. But the legs have spoken. If I couldn't keep up with that, I wouldn't be able to follow on the Oude Kwaremont either.” The Belgian accepts his performance, which was not enough to take the triumph this afternoon.

After what seemed to be the end of his podium aspirations, the help of van Hooydonck who had been in front was crucial. Van Aert was able to sustain a high pace and caught up with the chasing group just after the Paterberg, and re-entered the fight for the podium. From there it came down to a sprint, as he crossed the line in fourth, just behind Mads Pedersen.

Jumbo-Visma had dominated the cobbled classics until today, but were defeated in their own game. “They deserved at least a podium. Tomorrow I will turn the page and focus on Roubaix. I'm not going to hide in a corner, next week I'll throw myself again," van Aert concluded.