The virtual Tour of Flanders was guaranteed to split opinion, as a handful of pros raced from the comfort of their homes during the coronavirus crisis.
With the 2020 edition of Flanders postponed due to the global lockdown, 13 pro took on an online version of the cobbled monument, with the likes of Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert and Greg Van Avermaet all lining up.
But how strong were these riders on the day?
Victory went to Belgian superstar Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team), who has spent years chasing a win in the Tour of Flanders.
During his virtual glory, Van Avermaet put out some insane power numbers – the reigning Olympic champion held a staggering 434 watts for the entire of the 43-minute race.
Speaking after the win, Van Avermaet said: “I just tried to do as good as possible. I don’t like to ride inside anyway, so we were luck in Belgium we can still ride outside, so I think I kept my condition better than the other guys.
“I had no idea how this would work. It’s my first time so you don’t know what to expect. It was really hard, especially from the start.
“It was a different effort. In Flanders it’s a long time waiting. It’s hard to keep the good legs and in the end you lose a lot of power. This was a short effort.”
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The second place finisher was Van Avermaet’s compatriot Oliver Naesen (Ag2r La Mondiale), who narrowly beat Nicolas Roche (Sunweb) in the sprint for the line.
Naesen posted his ride on Strava to share his power data with fans and he also put out some crazy power numbers.
He held an average of over 400w for the duration of the race, hitting a maximum power of 783w in the final sprint for the line.
