Belgian analyst De Cauwer questions Pedersen's monster solo heading into Flanders, Vanmarcke and others say Kooij's crash is 'his own fault'

Mads Pedersen was simply impressive. According to José De Cauwer as well. He showed that his form is good in Gent-Wevelgem. "But the Tour of Flanders is and remains a different race," the Belgian Sporza analyst realizes. "Pedersen showed courage today but could not match Van der Poel on Friday. But given his results and his form, he is a good third man," he then refers to the two big favorites, van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar.

With their superhuman performances - look at Pogacar in the Strade Bianche and Van der Poel in the E3 Saxo Classic - you can't ignore those two. However, to say that only these two exceptional individuals can win Flanders' Finest is going too far for the former team leader and national coach. “I fear and respect the Tour of Flanders and its difficulty too much. A flat tire can be enough to cause a completely different turn in the race.

Wout van Aert was consistently ranked alongside Pogacar and Van der Poel in previous years. But after his extremely difficult start to the season, there are quite a few question marks behind his name. "You could say that we didn't see the real Van Aert on Friday, but after the race, we saw a tired Van Aert. He himself humbly admitted that he had expected better. We assume he needs to gain some extra percentages," says De Cauwer.

As the underdog, there may be an advantage in the Tour of Flanders for Visma | Lease a Bike's Belgian. "Then you get the story of 'I don't have to do anything' again," De Cauwer refers to the 2023 E3 Saxo Classic, which Van Aert won. "Of course, he wants to win." The team emphasized all winter that they wanted to win the Tour of Flanders or Roubaix with Van Aert. And if that doesn't work out, they'll go with someone else from the team. Those three (Van der Poel, Pogacar, and Pedersen, ed.) are already in place. At the same time, there is still a question mark behind Van Aert's name.

Jan Bakelants also has doubts but does not want to rule Van Aert out just yet, as can be read in Het Laatste Nieuws. "I refuse to rule Wout out at this point. I saw him very briefly on Saturday. He only recently joined the competition again. But the relaxed impression he left struck me and made me feel positive and hopeful. This is despite the pressure increasing from all sides, and there is growing criticism that his preparation should have been done differently. Well, he remains calm and does not doubt himself."

The Belgian analyst expects the Visma | Lease a Bike rider in Dwars door Vlaanderen to return to form. "We may get a positive sign from him as early as Wednesday in Dwars door Vlaanderen, but even that would not convince me. He has chosen a certain path and is confident in it, without needing that extra boost."

Still, Bakelants sees two real favorites, one of which he rates even higher. "I would be very surprised if Mathieu, like two years ago, again suffers from the pounding of Tadej. The way he rides the slopes and cobblestones now... The course is slightly in his favor. The explosive uphill efforts last 45 seconds to a maximum of 1 minute 30 seconds. Mathieu is currently the best of the two at that."

Back to Gent-Wevelgem. There, Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike) crashed hard, breaking his collarbone. It happened on the Plugstreets, the unpaved roads on the course. Jasper Philipsen was also unlucky there: he had a flat tire. This immediately raised the question: should the riders be on these roads? Sep Vanmarcke thinks they should. "They bring physical added value because Pedersen made the selection there," the former rider sees in the analysis after the race. "Philipsen's flat tire is unfortunate, but the cobbles were nice and clean. Except for the holes, there weren't too many pebbles left."

For Kooij, the Plugstreets also meant the end of his race and his spring. The Giro d'Italia, the big goal of the 23-year-old Dutch rider, is now in jeopardy. "I don't want to be too harsh, but he is a bit to blame. We did the recon on Saturday and already said to stay calm in that corner. You have to know that as a rider, and then it's a bit your own fault."

Greg Van Avermaet agrees with his compatriot. "I blame Kooij's crash on his knowledge of the course," says the former Olympic champion. He, too, saw in the recon that it was a tricky corner. "I can still remember that corner. You take speed, and it's slippery. You have to be alert enough, even if you make an effort. But you must let go and take it without much risk. I know many people will criticize it now, but I think it's a nice part of this race."