Powless: "Tiesj's brother is one of my best friends in Nice, Matteo lives 100 meters down the road from me and I admire Wout"

To be fair, almost no one thought Powless had a chance in the final. However, sports director Ken Vanmarcke realized something was possible in a particular scenario. "With that headwind, we knew he would have a chance if Wout started his sprint in time. If he had started later, it would have been more difficult," the Belgian said. "They know Neilson very well, after all. He rode with that team (in 2018 and 2019, ed.), so they know all his data. They know how good he is and that he can sprint."

"We were hoping to finish second at the very least," said Vanmacke. "But with that headwind, you never know. We said that in the car, too, that he could be beaten then." Powless himself did not have much faith in that, he said honestly. "I actually mainly thought: how am I going to finish second here?" said the always friendly man from the United States at his press conference in Waregem.

Neilson, are you starting to realize what has happened?
"It still feels like a dream. I think I need to watch the finished video again because, at the moment, it hasn't really sunk in yet. I was standing on top of the podium, so it must be real."

What were your thoughts as you started the sprint?
"I thought I could come in second, but victory still felt too ambitious. I mainly tried to avoid getting boxed in because I could come in second. I had something special, I think. I was feeling excellent. I haven't often experienced such situations, so I didn't know what to expect. But now, I can safely assume I could still sprint to victory."

And all those kilometers before that, how did you feel about the race?
"I spent 50 kilometers talking to the men in the car about whether I should help or not. Tiesj and Matteo also spoke to me because we had to help them get ahead. Of course, we were in a good group, but it was also intimidating for me to be riding against three men from the same team.

What worked in my favor was that we never had more than a one-minute lead. That way, we could keep up a high pace, and there was little playing around. Although every time I took the lead, I couldn't wait to let myself fall back again. (laughs) It hurt a lot, so it went fast. The headwind also made it hard."

Can you tell us about your relationship with Matteo, Wout, and Tiesj, whose brother you know well?
(laughs) "That's right. I am quite good friends with Tiesj's brother because he also lives in Nice. He sent me a message to wish me luck for the race. Matteo, on the other hand, lives a hundred meters down the road from me. And I was a teammate of Wout, who I have always admired. And I still do because he has already achieved so much.

Every year, he has bad luck, but he always manages to return to the highest level. That is so impressive. It felt special to be on the road with those men, even though they are opponents."

What does this mean for EF Education-EasyPost?
"It's massive. We haven't won much this year, so the pressure gradually intensified. When I crossed the finish line, I felt much of that pressure fall off my shoulders. It feels so good to give something back to the staff members, who sometimes drive for fifteen hours straight to be able to be at a race. They deserve this just as much because they all work so hard."

And for you personally?
"This is my greatest victory because I didn't believe in it until a hundred meters from the finish line. That feels pretty unique; I can tell you that now. When I became a professional, I always thought I would become a GC rider. In the 2022 Tour, I discovered how easily I could ride over the cobblestones and realized I didn't have to fear them. From that moment on, I became more of an all-rounder and a puncher, and from 2023, I will also be riding races over cobblestones.

I immediately finished third in Dwars door Vlaanderen, which gave me a completely different perspective on exactly what kind of rider I am. I now see myself much more as a one-day rider who can also seize opportunities in longer races. But these classics suit me best. The Tour of Flanders on Sunday? That is the ultimate question. Either you are on the wheel of the top riders and pray that you can somehow follow them, or you are in front and see them coming at a certain point."