Wout Van Aert (Crelan-Vastgoedservice) showed that he is ready for the cyclo-cross season by claiming the biggest road race win of his career at Schaal Sels. After a huge elimination race on the cobbles and gravel roads of the unique Belgian race, he attacked from a seven-rider group with a little more than 5km to go and then soloed to victory. Timothy Dupont (Veranda’s Willems) beat Stijn Steels (Topsport Vlaanderen) in the sprint for second.

 

We have gathered a few reactions.

 

Big win not enough to change Wout Van Aert’s plans: I have already made my choice

"Now I will again be asked whether I would be better road racer but I've already made my choice,” Wout Van Aert told Het Nieuwsblad. “I want to shine in the coming weeks back in my rainbow jersey. I will do my cyclocross season. This victory is a good sign. It is a sign that my form is ready to go into the field and I want to shine again.

 

"In the final I rode up to Stijn Steels, but by a misunderstanding I hit with him and destrpyed a few spokes of my front wheel. I was quickly helped by the neutral car and was able to get back quickly and so continue my race and keep my opportunities to take the win. I knew I had to play my last card in the final local lap and I did.

 

”People start to watch me more and more in road races. Today I was even regarded as the top favourite. That's why I waited as long as possible to ride away. I knew it had to be done on the last gravel section that was just about five kilometers from the finish line.”

 

"We have taken the race on because the team believed in me,” he told Directvelo. “Unfortunately, Tim Merlier punctured at a bad time and could not play a role in the final. When Stijn Steels attacked, I felt that the time had come to make the move. I hit his rear wheel. Fortunately, the neutral car could help me directly. I returned quickly to the first chasers. I knew I had to attack in the gravel sector because there were god sprinters in the group. In the final section, there were corners. It helped me to build a good advantage. Two kilometers from the finish, I really started to think of victory. This victory is proof that my condition is good and I'm ready for the cyclo-cross season. "

Timothy Dupont: I plan to continue this momentum

Timothy Dupont (Verandas Willems) was second. He told Directvelo:

 

"When you're used to winning, second place has the taste of defeat but this is not a bad result. The race started ideally with Dries De Bondt in the front group. We did not have to take the initiative. At the time the group of favorites broke up, I was not trapped. I understood that I cpuld play a role in the final. I also had my share of bad luck with a puncture at a bad time. When Wout ttacked in the last five kilometers, I did not follow. I lacked the power to be able to follow him. I continue my series of good results. I plan to continue my momentum in 1.1 races in September. "

Stijn Steels on the podium after great ride on Belgian gravel roads

Stijn Steels (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) was third. He told Directvelo:

 

"I'm a little disappointed with third place because I think we could go all the way if Wout Van Aert hadn’t hit my rear wheel. Then I was alone in front against the rest. It cost me a lot of energy. When I was caught, I thought I was riding for seventh but in the end I had the strength to go for the podium. This is very positive for me and the team. "

 

Wanty stagiaire targets Tour of Britain after excellent ride on Belgian gravel roads

It was a beautiful fifth place for Wanty stagiaire Xandro Meurisse in the Schaal Sels. He got a puncture at a very bad moment and managed to get back to the leading group.Frederik Veuchelen was part of the early break of 10 riders.

 

Xandro Meurisse told Directvelo:

 

"I think I could aim for a better result. We were instructed to be in the best position possible when the peloton would split. I was one of the last to make it into the group with the best. When I saw the composition of the group, I realized that I was in the good move. I puncturedat a very bad time. I found myself with the dropped riders. Taco Van der Hoorn and I gave everything to return. Joeri Stallaert was not able to take turns. I then closed the gap alone but that cost me the power because when Wout Van Aert attacked, it was over for me. This fifth place is positive because it is not the kind of terrain that suits me. I'm looking forward to take part in my next race, the Tour of Britain "

 

Defending champion Robin Stenuit said:

 

"I did my best today. I felt good. I missed the good breakaway for a few meters. I don't have any regrets."

 

Heroic ride by Brian Van Goethem on Belgian gravel roads

With Brian Van Goethem, Roompot - Orange Peloton had one of the absolute stars.

After the start in Merksem, it seemed like the six rides of team leader Erik Breukink had missed the break. Van Goethem and Wesley Kreder then managed to bridge across. After a puncture and a time-consuming wheel change by neutral car, Kreder was dropped but Van Goethem was in front in the remaining 150 kilometers. 

 

"A lot of wind, dust, a tough course and full-on racing: I've had a good day," he said. "I feel as if I've become fifty years older in one day."

 

Van Goethem only gave up when Van Aert attacked in the finale. 

 

"Immediately after a turn on a gravel sector he rode away from us. Because I was surrounded by sprinters, I tried to get away in the final kilometers but I failed. In the sprint of the group, I was far back," said the 6th place finisher.

 

Wesley Kreder (14th), Raymond Kreder (18th) and Michel Kreder (24th) also finished in the front end of the field of only 46 finishers.

 

Experienced Dane impresses for Stölting on Belgian gravel roads

The experienced Dane Michael Reihs delivered a strong performance at the Schaal Sels (1.1). After being in the breakaway for a long time, he could still keep up with the very diminished peloton and finished 16th. With 66 km on cobblestones and gravel or sand paths, the 195.5 km race was anything but easy. Many riders abandoned due to mechanicals, and only 46 out of 150 starters finished.

 

A breakaway formed early in the race and grew to ten riders. Michael Reihs was at the front from the start, the group cooperated well and built a two-minute advantage. But the peloton raced at full throttle on the non-tarmacked sections, and with 105 km to go the gap was down to one minute. Reihs & co. fought back, but were eventually caught with 65 km left to race; at this point, the peloton was down to only 25 riders.

 

Attacks from the peloton a few kilometres later led to the formation of a new front group of eleven riders. Shortly after being caught himself, Reihs couldn’t follow this move, but held his own in the peloton where he could work together with his teammate Sven Reutter. In the final, Reihs dropped back with a puncture on the very last gravel section, but quickly came back to the group. In the sprint he was only beaten by one rider, finishing on a very good 16th place. Reutter came in as 29th.

 

Sports Director Jochen Hahn said: “Like all the other teams, we had a couple of mechanicals on the cobbles and gravel, which is one reason why only two of our six riders finished. Michael showed a strong race, being in the break, chasing back to the peloton in the final after a puncture and sprinting to 16th place. That was a very good performance.”

 

“It was a crazily difficult race,” said Michael Reihs. “Never before did I see so many cobblestone and gravel section in one race – partly, we were racing through a cornfield! I figured that it would be very good to get into the break, and I managed that. That way, I was no part of the elimination race in the peloton, and when we were caught, the peloton wasn’t much bigger than our breakaway. Group. My Schwalbe tyres lasted very long, I only punctured on the last gravel section. Sven had only one puncture, too, getting back to the group quickly. I was too tired to follow the moves when the favourites attacked. But I had a strong teammate in Sven, and we decided to go for the sprint of the peloton. Sven is a very good rider, he supported me well today.”

 

A day of bad luck for ONE Pro Cycling on Belgian gravel roads

Entering the first sector there was a lot of action as teams jostled for position on the rough terrain. Approximately 100km into the race, the peloton started to split under the pressure of the terrain and the intense pace and ONE Pro Cycling were left with Steele Von Hoff, Sebastian Lander and Martin Mortensen in the front group.

 

80km to go and Sebastian Lander suffered a mechanical and required a bike change. The chaos in the convoy and the difficulty of the terrain meant long tail backs and team vehicles were delayed getting to their riders. Unfortunately too much time had passed until Lander was serviced and he was unable to get back on the peloton, leaving Martin Mortensen and Steele Von Hoff in the action at the front.

 

The chaos didn’t end as only 5km later, Steele Von Hoff who was sitting in the top 10 suffered a puncture just before one of the hardest sections of the day. This time, the team car was able to squeeze through the convoy and service Von Hoff quite quickly, buy what was left of the peloton used the rough conditions to their advantage and increased the pace splitting the bunch and making it difficult for riders to get back on. Von Hoff chased hard along the dusty roads but unfortunately like Lander was unable to make up the ground and get back on the bunch, which left Martin Mortensen up the road on his own.

 

60km remaining, an attack at the front saw 12 riders establish the first break of the day. Mortensen didn’t make it into the break which saw him isolated as the leaders surged off the front of the peloton.

 

With a chance that a bit of a selection might form on the cobbles Mortensen took to the front of the group and started riding in an attempt to force a chase group. But with most teams already represented in the break nobody was interested in helping Mortensen pursue the leaders.

 

Continuing to rider hard on the final few sections Mortensen put the group under pressure. Coming onto the finishing circuit, Mortensen tried to attack with 2km to go, but was quickly brought back and rolled in across the line with the rest of the team following closely after.