Benoot proud of Visma | Lease a Bike, but what happened with Jorgenson in the flat final section?

Benoot opened the finale. "For me, it was also ideal to anticipate and for the team. We had marked a few points to take action, but that wasn't necessary because I was already up front. With many good riders: Filippo Ganna with a teammate, Matteo Trentin with a teammate, Davide Ballerini with a teammate."

Based on that situation, the Belgian rode constantly, although he could not - unlike Van Aert - keep up at the crucial points. "In the end, three of us were among the best eight riders. We can be proud of that. Fourth and sixth is good, although it's a shame that Wout missed the podium."

"It was a successful day," Benoot concludes. "The course is so difficult. We made it difficult for him as a team, but Pogacar was simply the best rider. That is the fair and beautiful thing about the Tour of Flanders as it is today. This was the highest achievable, certainly today. I think Wout can do even better. Of course, he's come a long way since last year, but this was a super good race," said the number six in the results.

Jorgenson saw his chances of a top-ten finish slip away in the final after he had to let Benoot and Stefan Küng ride in the flat final section. What happened there? "They just dropped you on the flat, didn't they?" sports director Grischa Niermann teased him in a video that Visma | Lease a Bike posted on social media.

The American jokingly responded, "I had a double flat—both my legs. You have to check the sealant in the tire because I had a double flat," he said with a wink.