As every year, the Tour of Flanders gave rise to a very lively and open race: Sunday April 4, she smiled at Kasper Asgreen, winner nine days earlier of the E3 Saxo Bank Classic solo.
After 254 kilometers, the Dane won in Oudenaarde against the Dutch phenomenon and outgoing winner, Mathieu van der Poel, in a two-man sprint.
The 26-year-old Asgreen (Deceuninck) scored the biggest victory of his career, his second of the season after the E3 Classic.
The Danish champion was second in the Tour of Flanders in his first participation in 2019, behind the Italian Alberto Bettiol.
Belgian Greg Van Avermaet took third place in this closed-door race, in the absence of spectators gathered on the roadsides due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The race ended 26 kilometers from the finish with an attack from Asgreen, chased by Van Aert and van der Poel in the group of seven riders which also included his teammate, world champion Julian Alphilippe.
Asgreen's formation hardened the pace from Molenberg a hundred kilometers from the finish and brought the peloton closer to the morning break of seven riders who had counted up to almost thirteen minutes in advance.
A fall then caused a stack of runners and delayed several contenders (Alaphilippe, Asgreen, Kristoff, Matthews) before the second of the three climbs of Vieux Quaremont.
The Second Dane
In the final, van der Poel attacked violently in the third ascent of Quaremont and left van Aert behind.
With a lot of effort, Asgreen managed to get back in his wake 10 miles from the line and the duo headed for the finish to battle for victory.
The Dane is the second Danish rider to appear on the charts after Rolf Sørensen in 1997.
With AFP
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