When the organisers of the Strade Bianche extended a late invitation to the three-time world cyclos-cross champion and his Vérandas Willems-Crelan team to take part in the race, it’s unlikely they expected the conditions to be more akin to those that the Belgian 22-year-old faces in the depths of a northern European winter.
But with the snow that had covered Tuscany during the week thawing ahead of yesterday’s race, the white gravel roads from which it takes its name had turned into a quagmire, and van Aert took full advantage to grab a podium spot, despite grinding to a halt on the final climb of the via Santa Caterina in Siena after suffering cramp in both legs.
The narrow street, where the gradient hits 16 per cent, comes inside the final few hundred metres ahead of the finish in Piazza del Campo and Lotto-Soudal’s Tiesj Benoot, caked in mud, had already taken a storming solo win.
His nearest pursuers – van Aert and AG2r-La Mondiale’s Romain Bardet, who had been out on their own at the head of the race before being joined then dropped by the eventual victor – were still negotiating it, meanwhile.
Bardet, third at last summer’s Tour de France, took second place (and has uploaded his ride to Strava) while van Aert suffered cramp in both legs on the toughest section of the ascent, making him fall of his bike by the barriers, the incident missed by TV cameras but captured by spectators on either side of the road, with the rider remounting and managing to secure his third place.
Earlier in the day, the women's race had been won by Anna ven der Breggen of Boels-Dolmens.
Token gesture
Cav - you need one more stage win, and you'll still have it in you in 2023 2024 or 2025. Keep the faith brother.
That Roasting was on the bogus advantage of ceramic bearings over metal bearings, which is only apparent at thousands of rpm, not the actual...
I'd like to see riders have their own helmet designs, like we see in motorsport, as well as a personal squad number.....
I fancy Thomas may stumble upon quite a few fantasy pts just by virtue of how he rides now. He's always at the head of the peloton over those final...
Magistrates? A quick dip into "the secret barrister" (plus notes from an acquaintance) suggests the truth is somewhere between "tireless and canny...
Some false equivalences here. A mile stretch of road you can do at 20mph takes three minutes. Slowed to an average around 10mph at best on a...
Apt since he's describing Llareggub being done by lidl.
Last time I went past there it was the Branch pub and the Unit 4 cinema was still there but what is clear from early observation is that the rider...
They could have focused on the £17.8 million boost to the economy instead.