In the 117th edition of the Italian spring classic, all eyes were on the final 50 kilometers. Heading toward the base of the Cipressa, the yellow-and-black squad was well positioned at the front.

Just before tackling the decisive climb, disaster struck. Pogacar crashed, with van Aert and Jorgenson also caught up in the incident. The two leaders had to chase back but managed to rejoin the chasing group before the Poggio.

On the final climb, van Aert was perfectly positioned by his teammates, and in the closing kilometers, he launched an attack from the chasing group. The 31-year-old Belgian showed his class and secured third place.

“If the moment came, the plan was to go for it,” van Aert reflected on his late attack. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t for the win, but after the crash and my bike change, this was the best possible outcome. We fought back well as a team and kept believing in a strong result. I’m very happy with my podium finish.”

Although van Aert is proud of his performance, he regrets not being able to challenge his main rivals. “It’s a shame I couldn’t fight for the victory, but that’s how it goes. I kept pushing after the crash and gave it everything I could. To still finish third in the end is, of course, very satisfying.”