The Belgian Wout Van Aert (Jumbo) conquered this Saturday the 111th edition of the Milan-San Remo, the first great classic of the cycling season, ahead of the French Julian Alaphilippe, winner last year.
Van Aert won the sprint at the end of the 305 kilometers of the longest of the classic cyclists and closes “an incredible week”, in his own words, by to be proclaimed champion of the Strade Bianche last Saturday.
“He really deserves his victory,” Alaphilippe acknowledged. “In spite of everything I am happy but it is a bit frustrating to have been close to victory,” he added.
In this ‘classicissima’, which had to be postponed for five months and rescheduled in the middle of Italian summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, the French unleashed hostilities by attacking at the Poggio, the last ascent of the event, with six kilometers to go. Van Aert, who capped the climb to four seconds, caught up with the Frenchman on the descent and the duo battled for victory on a sprint. “At Poggio I was on the edge,” acknowledged the champion. “Alaphilippe attacked ahead of schedule and I couldn’t follow his wheel,” he said.
The revelation of the last Tour de France had suffered a puncture shortly after reaching the Cipressa, the penultimate ascent. But he was able to rejoin the group before it started.
Behind Van Aert and Alaphilippe the pursuers kept a close eye on each other and when they tried to hit the duo head first it was too late. The first classified of the first chasing group, who crossed the finish line two seconds behind Van Aert, was the Australian Michael Matthews, who finished third, ahead of Slovak Peter Sagan.
On this long and sunny day, the morning break, made up of seven riders (Bais, Boaro, Carretero, Cima, Frapporti, Mazzuco, Tonelli), had a maximum advantage of less than seven minutes. The peloton caught up with them with 36 kilometers to go, right where the event was returning to its usual course.
First ‘Monument’
At 25, Van Aert achieves his first ‘Monument’. Three times world champion of cyclo-cross, the Belgian has imitated Alaphilippe, who last year already chained the triumphs at Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo. “Alaphilippe has played very well (…) Fortunately, I had the strength to beat him at the goal,” the Belgian analyzed.
Van Aert is one of the fastest riders, especially after a tough race. Last year he won a stage on his Tour de France debut, on a massive false-flat sprint at Albi, before suffering a heavy crash in the Pau time trial and missing the remainder of the year.
Your Jumbo team has had a bittersweet week. The triumphs of Van Aert and the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, winner of the stage in the Tour de l’Ain and candidate for yellow in the next ‘Grande Boucle’, contrast with the dramatic sprint of Katowice in the Tour of Poland, caused by the Dutch Dylan Groenewegen (temporarily suspended).
.
