Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: Greg Van Avermaet 3rd, Oliver Naesen 4th

 

Greg Van Avermaet: "I used my experience

" I didn't expect to achieve this result today. I had a good sprint, I'm very happy. My legs aren't at their best yet, but I used my experience to get into a good position, which is important in races like this. It's a podium finish in a UCI World Tour race. With Oliver (Naesen) in 4th place, we're off to a good start in the classics."  

Oliver Naesen: "A great day for the team

"We did our best. You always hope for better but Wout Van Aert was too strong today. I had to place Greg (Van Avermaet) for the sprint and I managed to keep his wheel. This 4th place is a little bonus. Two in the top five is a great day for the team. It kicks off the classics season well and is a reward for the work we've done over the last two years."

Key number

8

Geoffrey Bouchard finished eighth in the final overall standings of the UAE Tour. "I'm very happy with this first top 10 finish in a UCI World Tour stage race. I benefited from the team's work all week. I continue to progress, which confirms my successful 2021 season. I'm now going to take the time to savor this and recover before turning my attention to the next goals," said Geoffrey Bouchard.

The news

Clément Champoussin 6th in the Faun-Ardèche Classic

Clément Champoussin took 6th place in the Faun-Ardèche Classic. Lilian Calmejane finished 9th. "The covid-19 last week put a stop to me. The sensations were not great so I saved myself all day. I put everything I had into the last difficulty. For a recovery, it's pretty good, but I hope to get back to the way I felt at the beginning of the season," said Clément Champoussin.

The news

Multiple clavicle fractures for Lawrence Naesen

After a crash in the first kilometers of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Lawrence Naesen will undergo surgery this evening for multiple fractures of the collarbone. The length of his unavailability will be known later. He will be replaced by Stan De Wulf at the start of the Kuurne - Brussels - Kuurne race on Sunday.