Van Aert solos to victory at Strade Bianche
After riding to third-place finishes in the past two editions of Strade Bianche, Wout van Aert ascended to the top step of the podium on Saturday, soloing clear of a select group to take the victory in a hard-fought finale and offering ample evidence that he is well and truly recovered from the injury that derailed the second half of his 2019 campaign.
Making the second start of his season, the 25-year-old Belgian made it into the select lead group that rolled into the final 15 kilometers of the race and then decided to put in a big solo dig with around 13 kilometers to go.
Despite the chasing efforts of Davide Formolo and Max Schachmann, van Aert held on to ascend into the Piazza del Campo solo, taking the biggest one-day victory of his road racing career at the line. Formolo rode to runner-up honors with Schachmann rounding out the final podium.
“Today was one long day of suffering and nobody felt that great. The heat was exhausting but I really focused on hydration and keeping cool and, in the end, I got something left,” said Van Aert.
“I really fell in love with this race two years ago and it was my goal to win. I’m 25 and I’ve already done it. I’m really happy.”
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