Visma-Lease a Bike’s hopes of securing a win at Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday were dashed in dramatic fashion, as Neilson Powless of EF Education-EasyPost surged past a trio of riders from the yellow team in the final sprint. Despite controlling the race for much of its 184.2 kilometers, Visma-Lease a Bike was left reeling as Powless claimed his first major victory of the year, leaving Matteo Jorgenson, Tiesj Benoot, and Wout van Aert in disbelief.
The race was set up perfectly for Visma-Lease a Bike with a final group of four riders. Three of them were in the yellow of Visma-Lease a Bike, while Powless was the lone outsider in pink. With just 10 kilometers to go, the yellow jerseys appeared poised for victory. Van Aert, a rider with a proven sprinting pedigree and past success in Classics, seemed like the natural favorite. But something unexpected happened: Van Aert struggled to match Powless’s pace when the final sprint was launched in Waregem, allowing the American to snatch victory.
Powless, visibly surprised by his triumph, admitted in a post-race interview that he had expected Van Aert to dominate the sprint. “I knew Wout, I thought Wout would be the strongest in the sprint,” Powless said. “It turns out we were wrong.” It was a result that defied expectations: Van Aert, Jorgenson, and Benoot had been in control for most of the race, but in the final moments, Powless made his move, clinching the victory.
For Visma-Lease a Bike, the loss was particularly bitter. The team had set the pace for much of the day, with the decisive move taking place around 80 kilometers from the finish. They had everything in place for a perfect finish, but Powless’s unexpected sprint left them powerless. Post-race, Jorgenson was candid about the team’s miscalculation: “We did a beautiful race up until 10 kilometers to go. We decided to go for the sprint with Wout, and it was the wrong decision. We can be honest about that, we also underestimated Neilson. Chapeau to him and congrats. That was a great sprint from him.”
Jorgenson acknowledged that their focus on the sprint, rather than attacking earlier, had been a misstep. “I know Neilson, I know how fast he is. [He’s] super explosive, and Wout, and also [those] in the car, decided to go for the sprint instead of attack, and this is a decision we made because we weren’t comfortable with the gap we had at a certain point and we made the wrong decision,” he said.
Van Aert, reflecting on the loss, took full responsibility for the outcome. “If you don’t win with three men in a group of four, you always make a mistake,” he told Wielerflits. “I was so convinced of my sprint that they went along with my story. I was too selfish. After all the criticism and bad luck of the past months, I thought about myself. It’s a huge mistake. This is not who I am and I’m very disappointed in myself.”
Up until the final kilometers, Visma-Lease a Bike had executed their strategy to perfection, keeping three of their riders in the lead group for most of the race. The pace was set by the men in yellow, and the positioning on the Berg Ten Houte had seemed like the perfect setup for a win. But with the final sprint unraveling in the way it did, Visma-Lease a Bike was left to ponder where things went wrong.
This surprising defeat raises concerns for the team ahead of the upcoming Tour of Flanders, where Van Aert will face strong competition from Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel. Despite the strength of the team, this result casts doubt on Van Aert’s ability to close out races, especially against top-tier rivals.
The disappointment from Wednesday’s race will undoubtedly linger as Visma-Lease a Bike looks ahead to the weekend’s challenge in Flanders. The loss could have long-lasting implications, and without a strong showing in Flanders or Paris-Roubaix, the team will face another round of tough questions.
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