Van Aert, who started from the second row, was in a good position from the start. The rider from Jumbo-Visma was part of the first group and tried to follow the wheels of his predecessors for as long as possible. After Van der Poel's blistering attack, no one was able to follow the Dutchman.

Van Aert rode at his own pace and battled with Eli Iserbyt for second place. Van Aert took the upper hand and relegated his compatriot to third place. "I'm pretty happy with the way the race went. I felt much better than yesterday when I wasn't comfortable in the saddle and had to let go", he said.

"I had a good start and then decided to ride conservatively. It was the right tactic. Ultimately, I had a little left to accelerate and got the best possible result.” Van Aert once again saw Van der Poel excel. "He was the best today. Nobody could get close to him."