"I’m close to my best form," Arjen Livyns stated earlier this week. And that was evident again today in Gent-Wevelgem. Livyns rode a strong race and spent some time alongside eventual winner Mads Pedersen. "I wanted to do more than just follow," said a happy Livyns. "If you don’t try, you always miss. If we just follow, you already know you’re racing for 20th place. I wanted to show more. But I couldn’t have predicted that I would end up riding with the eventual winner."
Jenno Berckmoes also had an excellent Gent-Wevelgem, securing an impressive eighth place. "We were simply strong as a team," Berckmoes reflected. "Admittedly, we missed the first echelon, but we stayed calm and didn’t panic. Once everything came back together and split up again several times, we managed to cover everything as a team and remained attentive throughout, allowing Arjen to make a super-strong move. He was simply among the best in the race. I also felt really good today. After losing half of my spring season due to illness, this is a real boost. I feel stronger with every race."
Livyns also looks back on his race with satisfaction. "Of course, it’s always a bit disappointing when my hard work isn’t rewarded with a strong result. In recent years, this race has usually finished with a select group. I had hoped for that again, as it could have led to a great result. But finishing with a large group seems to have been the trend in recent weeks. There are two more chances next week, and I hope to show my good form again."
Unfortunately, this edition of Gent-Wevelgem also had a downside. Arnaud De Lie had to withdraw early. He will take some time for a reset in the coming days and will therefore also skip Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders.
Picture: PhotoNews
