Greg Van Avermaet disappointed after being left isolated by BMC team-mates at Ghent-Wevelgem
Defending champion the only BMC Racing to make the front group at Ghent-Wevelgem


Greg Van Avermaet's BMC Racing team-mates may have taken control on the plugstreets at Ghent-Wevelgem, but the defending champion lacked team support after the race split on the final ascent of the Kemmelberg.
Riding in a group of 23 that included four riders from Quick-Step Floors and two each from EF Education-First Drapac, Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij, and Bora-Hansgrohe, Van Avermaet lacked team support to help position him for the sprint and ended up attack in the finale, eventually finishing 14th behind race winner Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe).
"We wanted to make the race hard and get a result," Van Avermaet said. "We tried as much as possible to make the race hard, but I'm a bit disappointed I didn't do better in the end of this race because I had super good legs, I was feeling really good. But I made some mistakes I think in the end.
>>> Five things we learned from Ghent-Wevelgem and E3 Harelbeke
"It would also be nice if I had some extra support in the sprint but I had to find my own way. It was a big group and I'm not great in sprints from a big group. It's nice to have some guys to lead you out, but this didn't happen."
Van Avermaet stormed through the Classics season in 2017 with wins in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Ghent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix.
Despite having picked up just one Classics top 10 in 2018 (at E3 Harelbeke) the Belgian says that he is reaching peak fitness just in time for a try at his first Tour of Flanders title on Sunday and a defence in Paris-Roubaix the following week.
Watch: Cobbled Classics guide 2018
Aside from Quick-Step Floors, BMC looked the strongest at one point in Ghent-Wevelgem with Stefan Küng, Michael Schär, Alberto Bettiol and Francisco Ventoso driving the group over the gravel plugstreets. But when the Kemmelberg was ascended for the second time with 34km to go, the BMC presence melted away to leave the Olympic champion isolated in to the front group.
Quick-Step drove the race towards Wevelgem for the eventual sprint, where team leader Elia Viviani placed second. Van Avermaet tried an attack with 1.5km to go and Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First-Drapac) attempted one of his own in the final kilometre.
"Winning was going to be hard and I hoped that some guys would join me [in the attack], that there would be some hesitation in the group and we'd get a small gap. But then I think some guy closed it and it was hard to get back in position and hard to do a good sprint."
>>> Peter Sagan after Ghent-Wevelgem victory: 'I don't listen to the critics'
"In contrast with other years, there was too little wind for echelons," added Belgian Vanmarcke, who finished in 21st position.
"But in the hilly zone [between 114km and 34km remaining] , there was hardly any fear for what was yet to come. The coastal section [between 198km and 164km to go] was also a fight, but then nothing happened. I tried to make the race hard on the Kemmelberg and get away with a group. It was in vain, unfortunately. "
Van Avermaet and Vanmarcke race the Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday ahead of the Tour of Flanders on April 1 and Paris-Roubaix on April 8.
"Like I said at the start of the year, the results last year were super good," said Van Avermaet. "Everything went perfectly, especially here in Wevelgem, which is a hard race for me to win.
"Feeling-wise, I have the same feeling as last year, maybe even a little bit better. I'm happy with my form, I'm happy with my legs and I hope to get a result in the coming races."
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
David Millar: Why Mark Cavendish deserves to be at the Tour de France
Cav has bridged generations in a way no one else could, he shows what's possible
By David Millar • Published
-
Young and talented: Meet the seven Americans racing Le Tour
Young and talented: Meet the seven American bike racers ringing Le Tour de France in 2022.
By Marshall Opel • Published
-
How the team with the smallest budget in the WorldTour is overtaking the competition: The rise of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert
The Belgian team has been punching above their weight all season
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Biniam Girmay's stage 11 start in question after podium mishap
Eritrean stage-winner injured his eye with a cork during podium celebrations
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'Unbelievable': Biniam Girmay seizes opportunity in watershed moment for cycling
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert rider becomes first Eritrean Grand Tour stage winner
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Biniam Girmay takes momentous sprint victory at Gent-Wevelgem
The Eritrean etched his name in history as the first African rider to win the spring classic.
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
How to watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2022: Live stream the first cobbled Classic of the season
If you can't be in Belgium for Opening Weekend you might as well watch it on the TV
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Racing every race like it's the last of the season: how smaller teams are overperforming this year
Lotto-Soudal and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux have won 11 races between them in 2022 after just 21 in all of last year, so what's going on?
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2022: all you need to know
Everything you need to know about the 2022 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium on Saturday 26 February - plus previous winners and what to expect from the first cobbled classic of the year
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Greg Van Avermaet looking for redemption at Paris-Roubaix after omission from Belgian Worlds squad
The Belgian has represented his national team at the World Championships every year since 2007
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published