Development After another solo, Tars Poelvoorde wins opening stage of the Ronde van Vlaams-Brabant

In the sweltering heat around Ottenburg, Poelvoorde attacked early on. “In the first lap, we unexpectedly found ourselves away with six riders and immediately built a nice gap. A little later, three more riders joined us and we worked really well together for the first two hours.”

The finale eventually turned into a two-man battle, but Poelvoorde came out on top. “The group started to feel some fatigue, so I decided to push on. Together with Lars Van Nieuwenhove, we managed to get away and immediately created a big gap. In the final lap, I had to give everything to drop him, but on my second attempt I succeeded. That allowed me to ride the final five kilometres solo.”

With the stage victory and the yellow leader’s jersey, Lotto-Groupe Wanty enjoyed a perfect opening day. Thibaut Bernard completed the team performance by winning the sprint for third place. “It is a very good start to the race and gives us a nice advantage in the general classification. Over the next few days, the goal will be to stay safe and control the race together as a team,” concluded Poelvoorde.

Photo: Kyann Nuyts