Teammate Vermeersch explains how van der Poel got into a tough situation: "I think it made Mathieu a bit angry"

The Belgian explained that the situation went wrong after only seven kilometers. "There was a crash. I think thirty were in front of us, and the road was blocked. Everyone was standing still', Vermeersch recalled to the press in the mixed zone. 'We came to a bridge, and it got a bit narrower. Then, suddenly, we were standing still. We had to move the bikes to the side."

Once we departed again, it took everyone a moment to realize the situation. "We were suddenly behind. You have to remain calm. At first, we saw the group riding and thought they would wait for us to catch up. That seemed to be the case for a moment, but that was not how it went," said Vermeersch.

"Every day it's about safe cycling, etc. etc. But if there is any solidarity," the Belgian from Alpecin-Deceuninck sighs. "If the UCI wants to make a statement, they should neutralize the race momentarily. Then, everyone has the chance to return. If there is such a big crash after seven kilometers, at the front of the peloton..."

Okay, the riders were looking to Alpecin-Deceuninck to bring the leaders back to the front with Van der Poel. "One minute became one and a half, then two, and then three minutes. I think that made Mathieu a bit angry," Vermeersch notes. "Silvan (Dillier, ed.) sacrificed himself, and we added Tobias (Bayer, ed.). And finally, Oscar (Riesebeek, ed.) as well, which was not the intention at the time. We had no choice. Red Bull also put a man on the job."

Ultimately, everything came together again before the Taaienberg, about eighty kilometers before the finish. That took its toll on Alpecin-Deceuninck, as Van der Poel also noted. "We had a tough race with the team, so I must thank them for a well-done job." He said in his flash interview.

Furthermore, Vermeersch's words ("I think it made Mathieu a bit angry") were correct. "From the start, I was behind a crash. Some teams thought it necessary to take advantage of that," said Van der Poel, who once again expressed his deep gratitude to his teammates. "I must thank my entire team for riding for me all day. I felt obliged to finish it off. I went pretty deep today, but I'm glad I can reward them with a victory."