The starting signal for the 88th edition of In Flanders Fields was heard for the first time in the coastal town of Middelkerke. The riders prepared for a 240-kilometer race in which the wind could play a major role. Team Visma | Lease a Bike lined up with two former winners in Van Aert and Laporte.  

In a lightning-fast opening phase, the peloton split into pieces several times. New gaps formed during the chase of eight early breakaway riders. Among others, Van Aert and Laporte remained constantly alert. Matthew Brennan, who had regained race fitness, was not part of the front group. Midway through the race came the challenging hill zone, with the Kemmelberg as its centerpiece. Amid the chaos, Team Visma | Lease a Bike lost Timo Kielich. The 26-year-old Belgian was forced to abandon.  

On the second of three ascents of the Kemmelberg, Van Aert increased the pace. The 31-year-old Belgian quickly bridged across to the remaining early breakaway riders together with Van der Poel and Florian Vermeersch. Shortly afterward came another ascent of the cobbled climb. There, Van Aert and Van der Poel once again managed to distinguish themselves. With just under thirty kilometers to go, they launched a two-man attack toward Wevelgem. The peloton, with Laporte among them, gradually reduced the gap. Ultimately, the effort of the two stars was only brought back in the final kilometer. In the streets of Wevelgem, a strong Laporte sprinted to third place.  

“We were fully focused on victory as a team today, but I’m satisfied with third place,” Laporte said afterward. “It looked promising for Wout for a while, but many teams were still well represented in the peloton. When they were caught, I knew I had to go all-in for the sprint. A podium finish is therefore a nice result for me. As a team, we raced an aggressive race: we attacked early and were always at the front. We can look ahead to our next goals with confidence.”  

Van Aert shaped the race for a long time and hoped for victory. “It’s a shame, because for a long time it looked like Mathieu and I would be fighting for the win,” the Belgian said. “I felt good and decided to raise the pace on the second ascent of the Kemmelberg. We crested with a strong group and quickly joined the leaders. During the final ascent, I was able to respond to Mathieu’s attack. We worked well together all the way to Wevelgem, but through the radio I heard that our lead was shrinking. We kept believing in it, but in the end we just came up short. I can build on this performance, although unfortunately a top result didn’t materialize.”