![]() Although Samen Winnen, winning together, may well prove more important. On paper, Laporte could feasibly win either Flanders or Roubaix himself in the coming weeks. “It was a dream of mine- like winning a stage of the Tour de France- to win a Classic, and I’ve done it now, thanks to the team and thanks to Wout,” Laporte said as he reflected on the significance of his latest win in the colours of his new team. A friend that he will want firmly by his side when the inevitable attacks from Mathieu van der Poel rain down on the Oude Kwaremont on Sunday. " La a'Blair s'math n Cairdean" which in English translates to “friends are good on the day of battle”.Īs they traversed the battlefields further north around Ypres, riding away from Laporte on the Kemmelberg would have been a kick in the teeth to a friend who has proved so invaluable for Jumbo-Visma and Wout Van Aert to date. In the heart of the Somme battlefields of the First World War in France, there is an ancient Gaelic proverb, carved into the memorial to the 51st Highland Division near Beaumont Hamel. “We have been on the road together for a whole year… and when you get into this situation, it would feel strange to sprint against one another.” “People at home only see this race, but Christophe is a good friend,” Van Aert said. Plus, the pair appear to genuinely be friends. Laporte was yet to win a major Classic, so it made sense to help a loyal, trusted lieutenant add to his list of wins as they built form together, and team morale ahead of the races still to come. ![]() Meanwhile Boonen even suggested to Sporza that the duo should have sprinted it out, implying that Laporte’s win looked good solely from a marketing point of view, and that giving away Gent-Wevelgem was a bigger loss to Van Aert than the previous victory he handed to Laporte at Paris-Nice.Ĭlearly anticipating the naysayers, Van Aert begged to differ, recognising the importance of sometimes putting your teammates over your own agenda. “In 15 years, Wout might think back to this moment and be angry with himself,” he said, adding his voice to the chorus of ex-Belgian riders, including Eddy Merckx, who while admitting that they understood the thinking behind it, also questioned Van Aert’s final decision to simply hand over Gent-Wevelgem to the Frenchman. Speaking to HLN, Johan Museeuw suggested Van Aert may look back on this particular moment in retirement and be full of regret. How could he possibly have given away such a result when he was the strongest rider on the Kemmelberg? Where was the killer instinct in him, and why didn’t he ride away when Laporte faded on the final ascent? In the aftermath of it all, those questioning Van Aert have evidently missed the bigger picture. ![]() The Belgian will need all the team players he can muster if he is to overcome the looming threat of Tadej Pogačar. ![]() “He is such a team player, so it was an easy decision,” Van Aert said, thinking ahead to the final phase of racing in the dust of Flanders next weekend. Van Aert knew this, and discussing the decision making behind handing Laporte the win in Wevelgem, he highlighted the Frenchman's willingness to work for their shared goals post-race to the media. When the finish arrived, handing the win to Laporte also bought Van Aert the undying loyalty of a perfect ally to help him achieve his Tour of Flanders dream next Sunday.īrought in from Cofidis prior to the 2022 season, Laporte was instrumental in much of his team’s success last year. ![]()
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