Tour of Flanders Crazier it should not be: Mathieu van der Poel (24) thought five kilometers from Oudenaarde that he is at the head of the reed in the Tour of Flanders. “The demarrage of Alberto Bettiol? Never seen it.”
It is hard to contain. Bettiol attacked on the Oude Kwaremont, 18 kilometres from the finish, but it lasted a quarter of an hour for Van der Poel in the holes. “Christoph (Roodhooft, he signed up, red.) was quite the time in seconds in my ear to call,” said Van der Poel. “But I thought that was the advantage of our group at the pursuers. When I came on the Paterberg, I thought that I first sat in the course. I really haven’t noticed that there is someone in the forefront sat. To I later, one saw someone riding in the distance.”
I had been with Bettiol
Mathieu van der Poel
How the mistake could happen, could Van der Poel not explain. Had the radio at a crucial moment? Had the rider not been paying attention? Was the team management not been clear? The leader of Corendon-Circus had no answer. It only got better. Because what said Van der Poel: “I had been with Bettiol.”
