For the Dutch WorldTour team, the victory was a welcome plaster on a deep wound because at the moment Jorgenson raised his hands in the air, no one knew the exact condition of Wout van Aert. The 78th edition will go down in history as the Dwars door Vlaanderen in which Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Biniam Girmay and Jasper Stuyven, among others, saw their chances of winning the Tour of Flanders heavily or completely mortgaged.
Flanking Jorgenson on the podium: Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen and Stefan Küng. Tiesj Benoot and Dries De Bondt just missed the podium.
How did the victory come about?
Visma-Lease a Bike played the team game entirely with Tiesj Benoot and Matteo Jorgenson. The American placed a bone-dry attack seven kilometers away to which no one responded. Behind it, Tiesj Benoot controlled any counterattacks after first laying the cards on the table.
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Benoot accelerated twice ten kilometers from the finish on the long slope of Nokere, but De Bondt stayed on his wheel. Küng not only caught up with the rest, but then immediately continued on a stretch of false flat to Waregem.
It was a very tough elimination match in which we entered the final with six: Tiesj Benoot, Matteo Jorgenson, Stefan Küng, early escapee Dries De Bondt and the revelation of the day, Joshua Tarling and the relatively unknown Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen.
Alberto Bettiol rode up Nokereberg as if he were Tim Merlier in Danilith Nokere Koerse, but he would quickly pay for his acceleration in cash. That increase in pace was enough to take Tiesj Benoot and Joshua Tarling out of the leading group, but on the cobblestones of Herlegem the Tuscan’s left leg suddenly cramped. And so there were six of us.
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Stefan Küng pushed hard on the cobblestones of the Huisepontweg. The leading group split up. Matteo Jorgenson, Jonas Abrahamsen and Dries De Bondt could follow. Tiesj Benoot, injured in his ribs since the E3 Saxo Classic, had a very difficult time there, but he returned to Wannegemdorp, together with the young Joshua Tarling and Alberto Bettiol. With those seven we entered the last 26 kilometers. The rest was lost.
The pivotal moment and at the same time the big drama of the day was the fall into the chasing group at 66 km from the finish. On the descending Ninoofsesteenweg, after the Berg Ten Houte, a number of top riders crashed to the ground at very high speed. In addition to Wout van Aert, Jasper Stuyven (collarbone?), Biniam Girmay, who was taken away and writhing in pain, Alex Kirsch, Michele Gazzoli, Harry Sweeny, Gianni Vermeersch were among the victims. Just like Mads Pedersen, who was still standing and continued driving. His injuries ‘should’ not be too bad, but hey, these were downright dramatic images so shortly before the Tour of Flanders.
In the meantime, Dwars door Vlaanderen continued to run and a group emerged behind the leaders with Bettiol, Stefan Küng, Tiesj Benoot, Michael Valgren, Joshua Tarling and Matteo Jorgenson. They walked into the unloaded Grondin and Vercoullie. At 50 km from the end, eight leaders were less than half a minute ahead of the group with Bettiol. The group with Jasper Philipsen was one and a half minutes behind at forty kilometers from the end. While Grondähl Jansen also played the role up front.
On the Ladeuze, Benoot, Jorgenson, Bettiol, Küng and Valgren joined and a little later Joshua Tarling. The last 38 km were tackled with a leading group of twelve, but of the early escapees only Dries De Bondt, Thomas Gachignard, Casper Pedersen, Dries De Pooter, Jonas Abrahamsen and Pascal Eenkhoorn were left.
Visma-Lease a Bike was at the front of the four-man group for the first time in the run-up to the Berg Ten Houte, the sixth of the twelve slopes. It happened very quickly, so that the door at the back was open. There we saw an active Magnus Sheffield who further separated the peloton into fans.
What did we get at the beginning of this edition in which the southerly wind, which was three to four Beaufort strong, was an additional obstacle? Well, it took until the very first slope in Tiegem before there was movement at the front of the peloton. Not that the riders opted for a health walk because again 47 kilometers were covered in the first hour. The man who set Dwars door Vlaanderen on fire was Dries De Bondt. That’s the emperor of Greater Anzegem. He not only became Belgian champion in Ingooigem, but also won Halle-Ingooigem twice and the Textile Prize in Vichte just as many times. This is his territory. Went along for the ride: Dries De Pooter, the second year from Intermarché-Wanty who is having a good spring, and Victor Vercoullie, a neo-pro from Flanders-Baloise. The latter is already on his fourth big escape of the season. The 21-year-old West Flemish was also present in the Grand Prix Jean-Pierre Monseré (81 km), Danilith Nokere Koerse (85 km) and the Classic Brugge-De Panne (177 km). A newcomer who dares to roll up his sleeves. With the Danes Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) and Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar), the Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto-Dstny), the French Thomas Gachignard (Team TotalEnergies-, Donovan Grondin (Arkéa-B&B), the German Niklas Märkl ( Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), the Norwegians Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) and Amund Gröndahl Jansen (Jayco-AlUla). Eleven speed riders from eleven different teams. The race had started. It was striking that the eleven raced for a maximum of just under three minutes. got a lead. It was a matter of keeping everything under control. At 84 km from the finish we lost Niklas Märkl on the cobblestones with a flat tire, while moments earlier in the large group Laurence Pithie also had a flat. The New Zealander made frantic attempts to get back to arrive at the cobblestones of the Mariaborrestraat, but the large group had already started the sprint, led by Lidl-Trek, who once again took control of the course. Wout van Aert was right at the back, but with his knowledge of the course he was little concerned. At 77 km from the finish, Pithie joined up again, but the peloton had split into three groups at that point and the first group was two minutes away.
What did the Belgians do?
While the final of Dwars door Vlaanderen started, they were urgently examining Wout van Aert in Ronse. And Jasper Stuyven also saw a phenomenal preseason come to an abrupt end there.
Jasper Philipsen could not really live up to his role as four-star favorite. The ‘Flame of Ham’ was constantly on the defensive. After the Berg Ten Houite there was no real cooperation in the large group.
Yves Lampaert got into trouble on the Berg Ten Houte. A fast pace was enough to make serious waves. The double Dwars door Vlaanderen winner was the victim of this and ended up in the fourth fan.
Lotto-Dstny was also in trouble again. Cédric Beullens fell hard with Laurenz Rex, no more than a kilometer earlier on the same road where Wout van Aert & Co crashed so brutally into the ground.
Edward Theuns was in a heavy assistant role and fulfilled his task until Berg Ten Houte. There, the man who had already been on the podium three times in Waregem (Dwars door Vlaanderen and once the Belgian Championship), left the race running.
Anything else you should know?
Wout van Aert did not have much use for Jan Tratnik. The Slovenian winner of Visma-Lease a Bike was still too bothered by his fall on Sunday in Ghent-Wevelgem and left Dwars door Vlaanderen before half the race. Which means that the Dutch World Tour team has an extra concern for Sunday’s Tour of Flanders.
Arnaud Démare didn’t even get to the start. The Frenchman from Arkéa-B&B was still on the participants list, but on Wednesday morning the management of the Breton team decided to end his spring due to over-fatigue. So no Dwars door Vlaanderen, nor Tour of Flanders and the much more important next week with the Scheldeprijs and Paris-Roubaix.
Alexander Kristoff was there again. On Sunday the Norwegian had to forfeit for Ghent-Wevelgem, but in an attempt to still complete ‘his’ Tour of Flanders, the Norwegian was at the start, but he did not appear in the story for a second.
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Rash:
1. Matteo Jorgenson
2. Jonas Abrahamsen
3. Stefan Kung
4. Tiesj Benoot
5. Dries De Bondt
6.Joshua Tarling
7. Jonathan Milan
8. Michael Valgren
9. Mathias Norsgaard
10. Thomas Gachignard
The women still have to cover 43 kilometers. Due to the deletion of the Côte de Trieu and Hotond, the race has been shortened by 20 kilometers.
Women have started againIn the meantime, the women have started cycling again. The Côte de Trieu and Hotond have been canceled and it now goes via Ladeuze and Nokereberg to Waregem.
Women still stand stillIt is unclear where the women’s competition will go. The ladies have been standing still for a while now and the match has now been neutralized for a while. Strange racing day in Flanders a few days before High Mass.
No podium for BelgiansJonas Abrahamsen sprints to second place ahead of Stefan Küng. Tiesj Benoot comes fourth ahead of Dries De Bondt. Great match from our compatriots
The American also wins Dwars door Vlaanderen after Paris-Nice.
Red ragThe Norwegian Abrahamsen wants to take second place, but this is not taken into account by Tiesj Benoot. Our compatriot is going to get the Norwegian.
Half a minute Küng and Tarling still try to respond, but the power flows from their legs. It is up to the pursuers to divide the podium places.
Cloth for the bleedingThe American from Visma-Lease a Bkike is on his way to victory. He can time trial quite a bit and doesn’t stop. The win will soon be a relief after the terrible fall of leader Wout van Aert.
Decisive attack?Matteo Jorgenson makes a strong attack. This seems to be the decisive breakdown. The rest cannot respond immediately. The winner of Paris-Nice is on his way to success in a Flemish classic.
Benoot bisTiesj Benoot delivers the next blow. Only De Bondt can follow. It is now up to Küng to respond. The Swiss takes Jorgenson and Abrahamsen with him.
Benoot in stocking feetTiesj Benoot slips away in stocking feet. Only Joshua Tarling responds. There is some doubt behind the two. The signal for Dries De Bondt to close the gap.
Due to an accident on the course, the organization must act quickly. The slopes of the Côte de Trieu and the Hotond will be deleted. So it goes straight to the Ladeuze and then braves the cobblestones of the Doorn and Huisepontweg. What a strange racing day.
Which of the six? The winner of this edition of DDV sits at the front. The peloton follows after just under two minutes. You name it. A Norwegian, an American, a Swiss, a British or just a fellow countryman?
Gear JorgensonThe American accelerates and Benoot cleverly closes the gap. Now it’s up to Küng to lift the butt. The rest slips along conveniently. Who will turn next?
Cramps with BettiolSuddenly the lights go out for the winner of the 2019 Tour of Flanders. He has cramps in his calf and needs to relax. This is how Benoot and Tarling get back into the race.
Jab from BettiolAlberto Bettiol shakes the tree at Nokereberg. The Italian makes a nice gap. It’s up to Jorgenson to pull the chestnuts out of the fire. Abrahamsen, De Bondt and Küng can just about catch up. Benoot and Tarling are hanging on the rack.
Between the frame Joshua Tarling hangs between the frame but refuses to fold. He just closes in seventh. The rest must fit.
Tags: American Jorgenson wins Dwars door Vlaanderen ultimate failure bitter aftertaste heavy crash teammate Van Aert favorites
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