Van Aert second after impressive battle at Dwars door Vlaanderen

# Van Aert Narrowly Misses Victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen

The 80th edition of **Dwars door Vlaanderen** kicked off in Roeselare, showcasing a challenging 184-kilometer course that introduced the Hellestraat and Onderbossenaarstraat climbs. Team **Visma | Lease a Bike** featured former winner Christophe Laporte among other competitors. The race began swiftly, with numerous attacks unsuccessfully trying to break away from the peloton.

An hour into the race, a critical breakaway emerged, consisting of two initial riders which soon swelled to a group of sixteen, including Laporte and Matthew Brennan. This pack struggled to maintain cohesion, ultimately fracturing near the Hotond. It was **Per Strand Hagenes** of Team Visma | Lease a Bike who ignited the action with a forceful assault on the Berg Ten Houte, causing significant splits in the peloton.

During the second passage of the Hotond, **Niklas Larsen** and **Romain Grégoire** secured a fleeting lead. However, on the Eikenberg, **Wout van Aert** demonstrated his rising form, joining the two front-runners with impressive acceleration. The Kempen native pushed the pace, pulling away from Grégoire, and went solo in the race’s concluding stretch, leaving Larsen behind.

With the finish line approaching, it seemed van Aert had victory within reach. However, in a dramatic twist, **Filippo Ganna** surged past him in the last 150 meters, clinching the win just before van Aert crossed the line in second place. **Søren Wærenskjold** rounded out the podium in third.

Reflecting on the nail-biting finish, van Aert expressed mixed emotions. “I absolutely believed I could win in the final half-hour, but then to see it slip away with only 150 meters to go is incredibly disappointing.” He noted the effectiveness of teamwork up front but felt strong enough to alter the race tempo. “I heard on the radio that the peloton was still riding fast, so I had to try something… Unfortunately, the race was 150 meters too long.”

Despite the close call, van Aert remained optimistic about his performance leading up to the **Tour of Flanders**. “I felt good all day and gave everything I could. I have to take confidence from that. Now I’ll take it a bit easier in the coming days and look forward to Sunday.”

As the riders prepared for the looming challenges ahead, this race undoubtedly added another chapter to the unfolding drama of the cycling season.

**Final Results:**

1. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) – 3:48:27
2. Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:00
3. Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) – +00:00:00
7. Christophe Laporte (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:00
51. Per Strand Hagenes (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:11