On this occasion, calling it a masterpiece seems almost an understatement because Filippo Ganna has accomplished something incredible. The Team Ineos athlete won the Dwars Door Vlaanderen (Through Flanders) after a day full of misfortune. Despite punctures, a bike change and even a broken handlebar, Ganna managed to rejoin the group, attacked on multiple occasions and in the final straight he managed to catch up with Van Aert, the protagonist of an action in the final 40 km, but once again denied on the finish line.

THE RACE. The "Holy" week of the Tour of Flanders opened with the Dwars door Vlaanderen, the appetizer to the classic of the walls. From Roeselare to Waregem it was 184.6 km with 12 walls to tackle and cobblestone sections. The first part of the race was almost completely devoid of significant attacks, the group remained compact until mid-race when the Lidl Trek team managed to take away a group of 18 athletes that however gained no more than 20" advantage: Matthew Brennan and Christophe Laporte (Visma Lease a Bike), Paul Magnier (Soudal Quickstep), Mads Pedersen, Soren Kragh Andersen and Mathias Vacek (Lidl Trek), Benoit Cosnefroy and Florian Vermeersch (Uae Team Emirates XRG), Mick Van Dijke (Red Bull Bora), Thibaud Gruel (Groupama Fdj) Tobias Lund Andresen, Stan Dewulf and Daan Hoole (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana), Jonas Abrahamsen and Soren Waerenskjold (Team Uno X), Hugo Page (Team Cofidis) and Rick Pluimers (Team Tudor).

In the following kilometers in the group it was total chaos, several riders, on multiple occasions, tried to attack without managing to make a difference. The decisive moment came 39 km from the finish when Wout Van Aert, taking advantage of the Eikenberg, gave a sharp acceleration. The Belgian exited the group and solo caught up with Romain Gregoire, Thomas Gachignard and Niklas Larsen who had attacked a few kilometers earlier. Just as Van Aert was attacking at the head of the group, Filippo Ganna was dealing with yet another mechanical problem. It was indeed an unlucky day for the Italian time trial champion who first changed bikes following a puncture and then literally broke his handlebars, losing considerable time. Despite this, Ganna managed to return to the group and get back into the action.

Despite Van Aert's strong efforts, the group of attackers failed to gain more than 30" on the main group where there was constant chaos. The Belgian star, taking advantage of the terrain's asperities, dropped his breakaway companions one by one, managing to remain alone in command about 8 km from the finish.

The final kilometers were literally heart-stopping, 6 km from the finish Ganna tried to exit the group with Vermeersch only to find himself chasing Van Aert alone. The Italian athlete believed in it until the end and caught the Belgian when approximately 200 m remained, dealing him yet another heartbreak. The sprint of the group, which arrived immediately after, was won by Soren Waerenskjold.

Filippo Ganna's victory represents the second Italian success at the Dwars door Vlaanderen. The first and only one to achieve it, until this moment, had been Oscar Gatto in 2013.

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FINISHING ORDER

1 Ganna Filippo INEOS Grenadiers 03:48:27

2 van Aert Wout Team Visma | Lease a Bike + 00

3 Waerenskjold Soren Uno-X Mobility + 01

4 Girmay Biniam NSN Cycling Team + 01

5 Pithie Laurence Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe + 01

6 Aular Orluis Movistar Team + 01

7 Laporte Christophe Team Visma | Lease a Bike + 01

8 Philipsen Jasper Alpecin-Premier Tech + 01

9 Braet Vito Lotto-Intermarche + 01

10 Pedersen Mads Lidl-Trek + 01