Dwars door Vlaanderen

Portuguese time trialist from Movistar Team into a long break, cut short with 25km remaining by a costly mechanical when already part of the winning move including Mathieu van der Poel (COC). Valverde safe through first 2019 race in Belgium.

Young Dutch world-class talent Mathieu van der Poel (COC) made his quality prevail at Wednesday’s Dwars door Vlaanderen -UCI WorldTour; 181km with a dozen hills and several cobbled sectors from Roeselare to Waregem-, as he outsprinted a five-man leading group which he propelled with a counter-attack very far from the finish -60km from the end-. One which the Movistar Team aimed to be at and featured in, yet was left out by reasons not depending on their legs.

A fantastic performance from Nelson Oliveira saw the expert Portuguese time trialist joining the early break -eight men, including another member of the winning group, Lukas Pöstlberger (BOH)- and even leaving his companions behind into the hills, 50km before the finish, once Van der Poel’s action had already started.

A further move nearer to the finish by Jungels (DQT), Tiesj Benoot (LTS) and Anthony Turgis (TDE) -in which Alejandro Valverde tried to be yet couldn’t bridge back to, always in good position before that attack- gave all chances to the break, from which Oliveira was left out with 25km by a costly mechanical. The main pursuit peloton, 19″ behind the winners, included Nelson Oliveira, Alejandro Valverde, Jürgen Roelandts -first Blue at the finish, 20th-, Jasha Sütterlin and Imanol Erviti.

Cover picture (c): BettiniPhoto / Movistar Team