Wout van Aert and Visma | Lease a Bike take responsibility: "Didn’t feel enough confidence"

For the first time since 2021, Visma | Lease a Bike failed to dictate the pace in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. And the similarities to that edition were striking: headwinds made the race tougher, and in the end, an unexpected winner emerged. Within the team, there was no sugarcoating of the performance. "It wasn’t good enough," admitted team leader Wout van Aert.

The Molenberg has long been a crucial moment in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and that was precisely where Visma | Lease a Bike struggled with positioning. "We were too far back, except for Matteo (Jorgenson, ed.)," explained Tiesj Benoot. The Belgian, along with Jorgenson, Van Aert, Per Strand Hagenes, and the previously crashed Victor Campenaerts, had been tasked with shaping the race finale.

"We made a mistake there. Other than that, I actually felt really good because I managed to close the gap," Benoot said, correcting the tactical misstep. "With the headwind, I had the feeling everything would come back together anyway—just like in 2021. It was a similar race to then. We still had three guys in the mix with Matteo, Wout, and me. It’s a shame, but I also think we didn’t show any dominance," he admitted candidly.

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Van Aert: "Chasing the race too much"

A similar story came from Van Aert himself. "We weren’t able to control the race," he admitted. The Belgian didn’t seem to be at his best, and he confirmed that afterward. "I wasn’t sharp enough today and was chasing the race too much. Our positioning was poor. The Molenberg is a crucial point, and if you only have one rider up there... that’s not good. In a race like this, your legs do the talking, as does your form. I just wasn’t strong enough to force anything."

"I was never really in the right position and simply didn’t have the legs," he repeated. But how could the team, known for its expert positioning in the classics over the past few years, be caught out? "I was too far back heading into the climb and got stuck behind the expected bottleneck and split."

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Van Aert: "Felt like there was nothing left in my legs"

"Look, positioning is always important, but it often comes down to the legs," he continued. "I had the feeling that we’d come back after the Molenberg, and that did happen. But I didn’t feel confident for the sprint, especially with so many fast guys there." In the end, the race was won by Uno-X’s Søren Wærenskjold, who managed to hold off Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step).

"I already felt during the race that I didn’t have my best legs today. I tried, but the moment I kicked, I could feel there was nothing left," explained Van Aert, who ultimately finished 11th. His next chance comes Sunday at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. "First, I’m going to take a shower, then I’ll think about that race," he concluded.

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"Laughable," concludes Wout van Aert amid the chaos: "This just should not happen!"

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