Jorgenson’s victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen was overshadowed by Wout van Aert’s crash and injury

The 188-kilometer classic with a finish in Waregem should have fine-tuned the form of Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) before the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix monuments, but unfortunately the complete opposite happened. Van Aert was involved in a hard fall and had to be taken to hospital, as was Lidl-Trek team leader Jasper Stuyven. Mads Pedersen also fell, but according to Belgian reporters he got back on the bike and did not need to be hospitalized.

The hectic course of the Across Flanders race started with a long fight for a big escape, in the end eleven cyclists got into it: Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step), Dries De Pooter (Intermarché-Wanty), Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar), Donavan Grondin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Dries De Bondt (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale), Niklas Märkl (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Amund Grondahl Jansen (Jayco AlUla), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dstny), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), Thomas Gachignard ( TotalEnergies) and Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise).

Van Aert cried out in pain

The refugees’ hopes of success soared after the big fall in the main field. A small peloton of about thirty riders rode at high speed downhill on a wide road with the wind at their backs, and the lines of the Visma-Lease and Bike and EF Education-EasyPost teams were pulling for the lead. Before climbing the Kanarieberg, it was necessary to be in front, because attacks were expected.

But Van Aert put his front wheel on the back of Tiesje Benoot and fell. Other riders went over him to the ground, Stuyven was holding his injured shoulder after the fall, Van Aert was crying, lamenting and had to be loaded into an ambulance. Biniam Girmay, the leader of Intermarché-Wanty, also had to give up immediately, and Mads Pedersen was able to get back on the bike, but his condition is not ideal before Sunday’s Tour of Flanders monument either.

However, the race continued and the Visma riders stuck to their plan to attack the Kanarieberg. This resulted in a group of six with Jorgenson, Tiesj Benoot (both Visma-Lease and Bike), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Michael Valgren, Albert Bettiol (both EF Education-EasyPost) and Joshua Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers).

Other favorites, for example all the riders of UAE Emirates, but also of Alpecin-Deceuninck and other teams, were taken by surprise by the fall and attack and did not return to the fight for victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla) tried to pull ahead solo, but he was already over a minute and a half behind, so he had no hope.

The refugees defied the favourites

The group of favorites caught up with the remaining escapees on the last longer climb of Ladeuze, less than 40 km before the finish line. A group of twelve riders formed, which quickly dwindled on the next paved sections. Only seven cyclists remained at the front: Jorgenson, Benoot, Bettiol, Tarling, Küng and the most resistant escapees De Bondt with Abrahamsen.

Bettiola knocked out a cramp

There were no longer hills ahead of the race leaders, so Bettiol tried to surprise his rivals with a dynamic attack on Nokereberg. Although he gained a small lead on the dice, he did not overtake his opponents. On the contrary, he later paid for his attempt, as he suddenly stopped pedaling on a flat paved section and let his opponent drive away. At first it seemed that he had broken the chain or had some other technical problem, but that was not the case, Bettiol could not lean on the pedal due to pain in his left thigh.

In the end it turned out that Bettiol had overestimated himself and was stopped by a severe spasm. The favored Italian dropped out of the game, leaving six in the lead. And of course she got on board. Visma had two riders and thus a tactical advantage. Benoot attacked several times to keep Küng and other opponents busy. Tarling fell away after each attack, but came back when it slowed down. De Bondt and Abrahamsen were surprisingly strong, but even they did not respond to Jorgenson’s attack before the final cobbled sector of the Herlegemstraat.

Küng saw that Jorgenson was attacking, but decided to ignore his attack. However, the other riders in the group did as well, and the American quickly gained a decisive lead. He reached the finish line with a lead of 29 seconds and won the Belgian classic for the first time in his life. Abrahamsen was the best in the chase group sprint, Küng finished third, Benoot fourth and De Bondt fifth. Tarling defended the sixth place.

Jorgenson was of course ecstatic about the win, although otherwise the mood was rather somber in his team. “It’s unbelievable. The whole season so far has been like a dream. It’s actually unreal. After Paris-Nice, we set a new goal. I haven’t qualified for the Olympic Games yet, but it’s a big goal for me to go there. But now I have a ticket in pocket. It’s a crazy season. I really can’t believe it,” he said at the finish line.

He especially thanked Benoot, without whom he would not have won. “Our whole strategy is based on the fact that we have several riders in front in the final. On one of the last cobbled passages, there was a moment when Stefan Küng ended up in a scarp and tied Tiesje. Luckily I waited for him, because without him I probably wouldn’t have won.”

Unless Van Aert is fully fit, which now seems impossible, Jorgenson will be the main leader of his team at the Tour of Flanders. However, he himself does not wish it. “I hope it won’t be like that. I hope everyone is ok, I’ll check later. I haven’t had any news yet. I was told after the finish line that Wout is in the hospital, so I’m thinking of him. I hope he’s ok.”