De Ronde 2025 Redux
Oudenaarde delivered a double rainbow! Both male and female elite world champions, Tadej Pogacar and Lotte Kopecky, won their Ronde Van Vlaaderen. Their win wasn’t stolen as they both rode a strong and excellent race. It was win number 2 for Tadej and number 3 for Lotte.
I expected a bit more excitement from the men’s race: an earlier attack from Lidl-Trek with Mads, and a stronger Mathieu Van der Poel. However, we found out, understandably only after the race, that he had been sick earlier in the week.
Wout Van Aert’s performance and late surge in the race was a happy surprise. He was struggling earlier in the race, yet had a strong resurgence towards the end. However, I don’t understand his race tactics in the final 10 kilometers. With Mads and Jasper from Lidl-Trek team, and with Mathieu, why did he choose to pull? There was little chance in catching Tadej. Therefore, let Lidl-Trek pull the train, and save your energy for the sprint. It was obvious from my position at the kitchen table ;)