Yves Lampaert takes back-to-back victories at Dwars door Vlaanderen

Yves Lampaert sailed to victory in a rain-soaked edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen after accelerating with 800 meters to go from a select group which attacked inside the last 25 kilometers, when three more hills and a cobblestone sectors were still left on the menu.

The Belgian rider claimed his first win of the season ahead of Mike Teunissen (Team Sunweb). Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First-Drapac) completed the podium of the UCI World Tour race.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was an attacker in the final 50 kilometers of racing, riding comfortably on the slippery, rough roads of Belgium. He sprinted to 11th on a day after covering a few moves and even launching an attack of his own before the winning group got away.

“We knew the weather could influence the race, so we had two plans. Go for a sprint with Elia or make it really hard for the others in case he wasn’t there in the final part of the race. When Viviani got caught behind, together with Niki and Styby we decided to ride hard and see what happens, especially as the rain and cold took their toll on the riders and many were on their limit”, said Yves Lampaert.

“When the hostilities began and Vanmarcke attacked, Niki told me to go, so I jumped and joined the front group. We worked together there and rode full gas, making sure we had a nice advantage for the final. Then, when Pedersen attacked, I responded and seeing I had got a gap, I sprinted to increase my margin and gave everything I had in the tank, knowing many of my rivals were faster. I am super happy to get another win in this race, with such a high-level field and so close to my home. To resume our winning run in Belgium feels great and gives us an extra boost of confidence ahead of Sunday’s De Ronde”, concluded Lampaert.

https://youtu.be/g-ZiniWD68A

Dwars door Vlaanderen 2018 results: