The runner-up won the World Championships in front of the Belgian Van Aert, who after 261 km abandoned the sprint in favor of his teammate from the Jumbo-Visma team. For Laporte, who won a stage in last year’s Tour de France, it’s the first victory in a great classic. Belgium’s Sep Vanmarcke finished third in the first pursuit group sprint.
On the second of three Kemmelberg crossings, Van Aert and Laporte broke away from the lead group with 53 kilometers to go and continued to increase their lead. The Dutch Jumbo Visma racing team has once again proven to be the dominant team this year. Laporte has already secured the nineteenth win this season for the black and yellow teams.
German champion Nils Pollit made a good place as a member of the first chasing group. “It was very cold. “Everyone is tired and completely empty,” said the guy from Cologne, who wants to fight for victory in the spring classic Paris-Roubaix in two weeks. John Degenkolb took the last of Germany’s three victories at Gent-Wevelgem in 2014.
Falls on slippery roads were frequent, and notable names were not spared either. Former world champions Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) and Filippo Jana (ITA) of Team Ineos had to finish the race prematurely. Some drivers like sprint star Mark Cavendish (Great Britain) and Rick Zabell decided not to start at short notice.
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