Van Aert’s Bosberg blast-off
Belgian star distances all comers to win solo at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and dedicates his victory to the Ukrainian people
Having declared that he had suffered last year for targeting too many races, Wout van Aert (Jumbovisma) showed up at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last Saturday (26 February) with a new focus and duly delivered.
The Belgian champion attacked from a group of favourites on the Bosberg climb and held on for the remaining 13 kilometres for an impressive victory. It left few in any doubt that ‘WVA’ will continue to be a force to be reckoned with this season. The women’s race was won by Annemiek van Vleuten (see separate story).
Van Aert dedicated his victory to the people of Ukraine, whose country continued to be under attack by Russia and whose plight is galvanising the sporting world in protest. “What’s happening in Ukraine, it’s hard to understand that this is still possible in current times,” he said. “I really pray and hope we find some common sense again soon. In these times, sport is just not important. I really want to support the people there.”
Van Aert and his Jumbo-visma team had looked dangerous and purposeful throughout much of the race, and van Aert’s Belgian team-mate Teisj Benoot put in a sterling supporting performance, at one point attacking into Geraardsbergen and leading over the Muur-kapelmuur climb before being caught.
Asked how it felt to attack alone on the Bosberg, van Aert simply replied: “Awful.” He added: “It’s a suicide mission because your legs have already exploded before you touch the first cobblestone. It’s the sort of climb that doesn’t look hard in training – before you know it you’re at the top. But in the finale of a race, it’s just endless.”
But it was clearly less awful for him than for his rivals, who fell away as van Aert powered towards the finish in Ninove, Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) ultimately leading a nine-man chase group ahead of double former winner Greg Van Avermaet (Ag2r-citroën).
And van Aert had an ominous message for those rivals as the season fast progresses
towards the most important Northern Classics: there’s more to come.
“I’m 27 now… I’m arriving in my best years,” van Aert said. “I was well prepared coming here [but] I believe I can still make one little step which I’ll definitely need for the long and hard Classics, but I’m happy to be here and start like that. Hopefully we can build on that and take the next step and hold it to Roubaix.”
Owain Doull (EF Education-easypost) was the highest British finisher, 25 seconds behind van Aert, with Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) two places back at the same time. Worldtour debutant Lewis Askey (Groupama-fdj) was 78th, finishing in the main group after a lively race that went pretty much to plan.
“I did everything I was supposed to do, and I didn’t make any mistakes. I was always in the right position. Any job that I was given, I did,” said the 20-year-old former Paris-roubaix Juniors winner. “So that’s a positive.”
“Hopefully we can build on that... and hold it to Roubaix”
Askey was pleasantly surprised to find that the “crazy fights” to get into sectors that he’d been told about weren’t really a problem and that he was able to stay near the front.
“What I don’t have is that endurance – my legs will fall off in the last hour of the race,” he admitted. “From whatever power I’m doing, 200 watts will feel like a full-gas sprint.”
And instead of there being just one major split to decide a race, as in the under-23s, Askey said: “Here I had to make 10 different splits, that came back together. The level is so high.”
The endurance would come with age, predicted the Midlands-based rider, adding that much of this Classics season for him would be spent learning the various parcours – knowledge that would enable him to race strategically and efficiently in years to come.
At Sunday’s accompanying 1.Pro-rated Kuurne-brussels-kuurne, Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-step Alpha Vinyl) continued his comeback, sprinting to victory ahead of Caleb Ewan (Lotto-soudal) and Hugo Hofstetter (Arkéa-samsic) after overhauling the breakaway in sight of the finish line. Hofstetter’s British team-mate Dan Mclay was fourth.
On Monday morning, Ineos Grenadiers DS Roger Hammond praised his young team, led by Pidcock and Ethan Hayter, for their performance across both races.
“I’m really pleased,” he said. “If you look at the average age and how many times those guys have ridden those races, and how well they performed… for me it was more about how they improved and progressed [across the two races], it’s such a huge progression for such a young team.”
While the Ineos riders didn’t procure any silverware, they did ride impressively cohesively, learned a lot, and took the races on, Hammond said.
“The opening weekend is famous for being chaotic. It’s a pretty difficult race to drop a neo-pro into anyway, let alone nearly 50 per cent of your team as neo-pros.” In Kuurne the team featured three first year Worldtour riders – Ben Turner, Magnus Sheffield and Kim Heiduk.
“I think they performed exceptionally well,” said Hammond. “We always knew it was going to be a big learning experience. I think they deserved more on Sunday, but that’s bike racing for you.”
“The opening weekend is famous for being chaotic”