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Remco Evenepoel beat Wout van Aert in a victory for return from fairy to Brabante Pijl, but it was not easy.
OnePoel confirmed his class during his first race since a devastating injury in December during his beginnings of the season in 2025, and had gas to push the hard man, Van Aert.
“I knew that the last days, I was pretty good, but to run so far with Wout, and be back here on a course that is not 100%, it feels good,” said Oelpoel. “To beat Wout in the sprint, I thought I was beaten before the start of the sprint, and to beat Wout, I was not too sure, but you have to try.
“Winning the first race is still difficult. It is incredible to open the season with a victory.”
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The pair entered the line together in a two -sprint superstar after taking the ground with 50 km to go to the Belgian classic.
With more than a minute on the prosecution group, the Belgian pair could play a little cat and mouse in the last ascent of the Red Kite.
In a somewhat surprising way, OnePoel did not attack the final bump, and Van Aert did not have legs in the final sprint to come for the victory.
António Morgado (Emirates of Eau-XRG) was launched in third place to complete the podium, Neilson Powless (EF Education-Esypost) returning home seventh.
Van Aert: “I no longer have a good sprint”
It was another bitter pill for Van Aert, which has been without victory so far this spring.
The Visma-lease A cyclist, who will run Sunday at Amstel Gold Race, could not shake Oelepoel and refused to take a traction within 2 km of fence to be on his wheel for the sprint.
OnePoel jumped and Van Aert could not suspend his head until the defeat after having the Watts to challenge the victory.
After a similar loss to Powless at Dwars Door Vlaanderen last month, Van Aert said that evenpoel was the strongest rider.
“I hope to win in this situation, but I did not remember anything. Remco killed me slightly in the last round of the race. It was already difficult to hang on in the last lap, and he deserved to win,” said Van Aert.
“I am not too disappointed. We aim more, especially in this situation, I had hoped to beat him. A sprint like this is not the same thing, but apparently I no longer have a good sprint. ”
Also read: Can Pidcock reach the level of Pogačar, Pogačar in the Ardennes?
The favorite of Pre-Course Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 pro Cycling) surprisingly missed after being able to follow the decisive attacks with 50 km to go.
Pidcock, race for the first time from Milan-San Remo, hoped for the classics of Ardennes further.
“I lacked a little explosiveness today. I was fine, but when it was very hard, I was just suffering,” said Pidcock. “I am still fighting in my first race. I can’t come like Remco. I can be happy, but there is work to do. ”
Van Aert exploded the race
An early break was placed on a spectacular day for the race to spend cobblestones at the Ardennes hills.
With the race, from Wednesday to Friday, runners like Van Aert said that they had more time to recover after Paris-Roubaix and presented themselves in the race.
Van Aert did not waste time and opened a striking acceleration chain with around 50 km to explode the race.
Also read: Evenpoel says he almost stopped cycling after a shoulder injury
The emblematic climb of Moskesstraat played a key role, just as he did in women’s race, and Van Aert pulled the spit. Powless (EF Education-Easypost) was close, but could not correspond to pure power.
Only Evenepoel – in his first 2025 race – had diamonds in the legs to match Van Aert. And then Joe Blackmore (Israel-Prime Tech) amazed the favorites to cross.
Pidcock could not follow the wheel and quickly settled in a group of pursuit in the race for the remains.
The Leader trio worked well together and struck the penultimate passage over Moskesstraat to maintain the gap at 42 seconds with 30 km to go.
A strong acceleration of Oelpoel at 16 km to go saw Blackmore out in the back towards the last climb in the Moskesstraat.
“It was too fast for me, but it was an honor to be at the front with these two,” said Blackmore, winner of the Tour of the future in 2024. “I must continue to work so that I can be in this position more often.”
Van Aert came above to keep the hunting group gap at 33 seconds. Alpine and Cofidis led the pursuit, but the superstar duo turned the screws to the line.
This is another overwhelming defeat for Van Aert, and another sparkling victory for Oelpoel.
After months of rehabilitation and deep doubts about his future as a cyclist, Ohepoel rupture with a first victory of the season.
The next step is a series of clashes with Tadej Pogačar n ° 1 in the world.
