"They’re some of the best riders in the world" - Florian Vermeersch plays third wheel as Van der Poel and Van Aert renew epic rivalry at In Flanders Fields

Florian Vermeersch forced his way into the key selection on the Kemmelberg at In Flanders Fields, but ultimately fell just short of the level required to stay with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert as the race split under pressure.

The UAE Team Emirates - XRG was the only rider able to follow the initial surge when the two rivals accelerated, briefly bridging across as the front of the race broke apart. For a moment, he looked capable of turning the move into a three-man contest.

However, as the pace picked up again, the gap widened.

“Yeah, I just missed the last one or two per cent on them. It is what it is. It’s not a shame. They’re some of the best riders in the world,” Vermeersch said after the finish to Cycling Pro Net.

The Kemmelberg once again proved to be the point where the race was shaped rather than decided.

Van der Poel’s acceleration reduced the front group, with Van Aert the only rider able to immediately respond. Vermeersch fought to limit the damage and was the closest of the chasers, briefly holding contact as the selection formed before slipping just off the back. “I think I was the only one able to follow them on the Kemmelberg, so I’m happy with how I raced. I just missed that final two or three per cent, but that’s racing.”

That small difference was enough to separate the race into clear layers. Van der Poel and Van Aert pressed on together at the front, with Vermeersch left in between and the peloton reorganising behind.

Despite missing out on staying with the leading duo, Vermeersch took positives from his performance deep into the finale of a demanding race. “It’s already been two or three hard races this week, and this was another tough one. It’s been hard.”

In the end, the race came back together in the closing kilometres, with the peloton bringing the attackers back to set up a sprint finish. Jasper Philipsen went on to take the victory, underlining how the early selection on the Kemmelberg shaped the race without ultimately deciding it.

For Vermeersch, the takeaway was clear. On a day when only the very strongest could follow the decisive accelerations on the climbs, he was right there alongside the riders who continue to define this generation of Classics racing, even if he could not quite hold their wheel when it mattered most.