In the analysis in the cabin, Sven Nys looked again at the Golden Kilometer. Tim Wellens won the first sprint, Mauro Schmid was left empty-handed.
“Of course that would have cost forces, but Wellens makes a mistake by lowering his speed and being swallowed,” says the analyst.
“He goes into a duel with Yves Lampaert, who almost pushes him to the bicycle path. Lampaert then closes the door completely. And Wellens comes too late for the second sprint.”
“In the last sprint, Wellens knew he had to have Schmid’s wheel, but the door was closed again.”
Of course there is a fuss about Lampaert’s movements: “We have to leave that to the jury.”
“It was on the brink. Was it over? There was elbow work and there’s a lot to say about it. It’s a gray area.”
“I would have liked to see the duo duel. Wellens can also say: did I have this or that… But there can be discussion about Lampaert.”
Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl is cheering thanks to the final win, but has Yves Lampaert’s image been damaged after the 1,000 meters in the boxing ring?
Sven Nys: “It will pass, but it’s a snapshot that he doesn’t really need. It’s a shame.”
“Lampaert will certainly not lose his supporters and that gray zone is part of the race. It should not happen, but we also like to look at it somewhere.”
For the same money, Tim Wellens could of course have been the winner. “But his biggest win was on Saturday: his performance in the heat in the Ardennes.”
“He didn’t give up either and I’m especially impressed with his interview on Sunday, the way he handles the situation like a gentleman.”
“90 percent of the peloton would do it differently. This is an example for the youth: how to deal with your loss.”
In their conversation after the final stage, Renaat Schotte and Sven Nys go over all the stages again and they reflect on the big names who have dominated this race from A to Z.
