Greg Van Avermaet
“That was the goal for the day.”
“Even though I didn’t have the same legs as I did in A Travers la Flandre on Wednesday, I managed to be there in the final. With my experience in this race, I managed to clinch a podium place. I know that in a classic like the Ronde Van Vlaanderen, which is 254 kilometers long, I still have resources left at the end of the race. The podium was the goal for the day, and I have no regrets today. I'm happy to bring this first podium to AG2R CITROËN TEAM, which has invested a lot in the Flemish Classics. The whole team worked hard this winter, we're happy to race together, and it's working."
"After podiums at E3, Gent Wevelgem, we manage to be among the top three in the world's biggest classic.
JULIEN JURDIE: “The character of a champion”
“We went through a whole range of emotions today. The group was well organized in the early kilometers. Michael Schär's exclusion destabilized the group. At the same time, Greg never gave up, he always pushed forward. He managed to close the gaps and come back. He has the character of a champion and he showed that again today. We're going for our first podium finish in this race, and it was a great moment to experience that! After podium finishes at E3 and Gent-Wevelgem, we've managed to get among the top three in the world's biggest classic. We can be proud, and it gives us a lot of motivation for the future."
The news
Sarreau third on the Roue Tourangelle
Marc Sarreau secured his first podium finish of the season by taking third place in the Roue Tourangelle, the third race in the Coupe de France. "With the wind, it was a bit tense all day. Despite that, we had a good team race. And at the finish line, I was beaten by someone stronger than me. It's my first podium finish of the season, I'm not in peak form yet, but it gives me motivation for the rest of the season." In the French Cup standings, Aurélien Paret-Peintre is third (leader of the young riders), Marc Sarreau fifth. We still lead the team standings.
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Key number
Since 2014, Greg Van Avermaet has participated in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen seven times. He has finished on the podium four times. Second in 2014 and 2017, he finished third in the 2015 edition and therefore 2021.
