Van Aert Belgian time trial champion, Evenepoel on the ground

By Le Figaro with AFP

Published
1 hour ago, Update 1 hour ago

Wout Van Aert Nico Vereecken / PANORAMIC

Wout Van Aert became Belgian time trial champion for the third time on Thursday in Herzele (north) where his great rival, Remco Evenepoel, victim of a fall in the first kilometers, was unable to defend his chances.

The long-awaited duel between the two Belgian specialists in the discipline did not keep all its promises. Outgoing champion and starting last on a wet road, Evenepoel found himself on the ground after barely three minutes of racing.

In a soggy bend in “S», the runner from the Soudal-Quick Step formation lost control of his front wheel and slid down a ravine, losing several tens of seconds.

If he got up without visible injury, the “little cannibal» lost all hope of defending his title, finally failing in 4th position, more than a minute behind Van Aert.

“I heard Remco had a problem. It was indeed slippery, you had to stay on the bike in the turns“, explained Van Aert.

At the end of the 42 kilometers of a flat but technical course, the leader of the Jumbo-Visma team won with a 49-second lead over Alec Segaert.

This is the third time that Van Aert, 28, has worn the tricolor jersey in a time trial after 2019 and 2020. A great performance ten days before the start of the Tour de France in which he will take part, unlike Evenepoel.

“For the first time in a long time, I had good feelings today. It feels really good. (Last week) at the Tour de Suisse, I didn’t have that level yet. I lacked freshness“, noted the winner.

Among the ladies, the title returned for the fifth time to Lotte Kopecky.

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