Casper Asgreen outclimbed Mathieu van der Poel across 19 kickers up to 23% on cobbles and then held him in a sprint at the end of 254km to win Ronde van Vlaanderen. Anthony Walsh breaks down what actually happened in the finale, why Alaphilippe did the right thing stepping aside, and what the finish tells you about fatigue and sprinting that a flat-stage sprint never will.
Key Takeaways
Deceuninck-Quick-Step got their 8th Flanders win because Alaphilippe, the world champion, read the race and handed leadership to Asgreen. That kind of communication inside a team is rare. Most teams arrive at the finale with two protected riders and no plan, which is exactly what Anthony says happened to Van Avermaet and Naesen at AG2R. You saw it play out in real time.
The sprint finish matters here because it wasn't a sprint. At the end of 254km over cobbles and 23% gradients, the riders are not doing 50km/h. They were crawling into it, watching each other, before van der Poel cracked under the acceleration. Anthony's point is a simple one: if you want to understand what fatigue does to a rider, watch the last two kilometres of Flanders. It's not the same event as a bunch sprint.
You Might Also Like
If the Flanders tactics got you thinking about how the classics are shaking out, the Hincapie episode on Pogacar at Roubaix is worth your time. Go listen to it at the link below.