Van Aert Denied at the Line by Ganna in Full-Gas Flanders Tuneup

Dwars door Vlaanderen ended in heartbreak for Wout van Aert and exultation for Filippo Ganna.

Van Aert was hanging on by a thread with 400 meters to go following a long solo attack when Ganna pounced out of the chasing group in the fastest edition ever in the mid-week Tour of Flanders tune-up.

Ganna surged past the Belgian star to snatch a stunning victory at the line in a brutal and wild finale, with an average speed of 48.5kph in an attack-riddled, out-of-control race.

“All day I was unlucky, I broke my front wheel and had to change my bike, and then I broke my handlebars. In the end, I tried to give all,” Ganna said. “Wout made an impressive performance, and it was only in the last corner that I could believe. I am really happy, and it could be good morale for the coming races.”

With Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel sitting this one out, all eyes were on Van Aert.

The big Belgian didn’t disappoint, and launched a bunch-busting attack on the Eikenberg to put the hurt on everyone.

Early chaos saw Dylan Teuns and Jenno Berckmoes abandon after a crash, with Berckmoes taken to the hospital. Arnaud De Lie also abandoned on the climbs as the bunch split.

Chasing redemption and revenge

With 25km to go, Van Aert led with Niklas Larsen, holding 25 seconds over a four-man chase of Magnus Sheffield, Florian Vermeersch, Tim van Dijke and Romain Grégoire, with the peloton at 43 seconds.

The peloton smelled a bunch sprint, with Soudal Quick-Step driving the chase.

Van Aert wasn’t having it, and, digging deep to seal his first win of the season, dropped Larsen to attack over the final climb with a vengeance.

It was a drag race to the wire, with the Belgian giving everything he had to carry a slim, 17-second lead over the final cobbled sector at 6km to go.

“It would have been nice if the line was 150 meters earlier,” Van Aert said. “I tried everything to win. My final started when I hit the front after the Eikenberg. I thought I had just enough to make it, but after the last corner, Ganna was there. Suddenly I saw a wheel next to me and it was over.”

The gap was down to a fistful of seconds at the red kite when Ganna bolted clear to fly past Van Aert.

It was a brutal disappointment for Van Aert, who narrowly lost last year’s edition to Neilson Powless, and a cobbled confirmation for Ganna.

Dwars door Vlaanderen results