Wout van Aert says he didn’t want to waste his chance in the sprint by chasing Stuyven in Milan-San Remo 2021
Last year’s winner said it was hard to close down the eventual victor, as other riders were looking at him to work in the final
Wout van Aert said he didn’t want to waste his chance in a sprint by chasing Jasper Stuyven in the final of Milan San Remo.
Jumbo-Visma rider Van Aert, the reigning champion in the Italian Monument, was among an elite 17-rider group that went to the line after the Poggio on Saturday (March 20).
While pre-race favourites Van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), and Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick-Step), all made the final selection in the 2021 Milan-San Remo, it was Trek-Segafredo’s Jasper Stuyven who took the victory with a solo attack 2km from the line.
Speaking after the finish, Van Aert said he struggled to chase down Stuyven as he wanted to save himself for the sprint.
The 26-year-old said: “It was a fast descent on the Poggio and right at the bottom Jasper Stuyven went on the attack, which was a really good move.
“Afterwards it was a bit hard for me to chase because I didn’t want to waste my chances in the sprint, and a lot of guys were looking at me and we just came up short.
“It’s always a difficult final 2km and today I gambled wrong.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Van Aert and Alaphilippe launched the decisive attack on the higher slopes of the Poggio, inside the last 10km of the 299km one-day race, but they were pursued by a sizeable group of riders who arrived at the top of the climb together.
With the likes of Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal), Van der Poel and Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) still in that group, Stuyven decided to go all in at the foot of the descent from the Poggio, establishing a gap and just holding on to victory ahead of Ewan.
Van Aert was forced to settle for third: “It was surprising to me we were with quite a big group at the top. We attacked, I did and Alaphilippe did, but apparently it wasn’t fast enough to make a difference, still it was a good opportunity for me.
“I always have a good sprint after a hard race, but like I said it was difficult to take the right decisions in the end, nevertheless we have a good winner and I have to be satisfied with third place.”
Thank you for reading 20 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
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
Chinese X-Lab vies for global domination as it equips XDS Astana with bikes for the WorldTour
A new partnership sees Astana aboard new bikes with increased funding for 2025
By Joe Baker Published
-
Tech of the week: Van Rysel releases an aero bike (quelle surprise!) plus a superlight carbon crankset from FSA, a long top tube bag from Tailfin and tyre liners from Zefal
The RCR-F aero bike will be ridden by the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team in 2025, but will it create headlines like the RCR?
By Luke Friend Published
-
Wout van Aert’s cyclo-cross campaign still up in the air
Belgian said to be struggling to run after serious knee injury sustained at the Vuelta a España
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Women's Milan-San Remo confirmed for 2025, route and distance unknown
UCI announces addition to Women's WorldTour calendar, meaning four of the five men's Monuments now have women's equivalents
By Adam Becket Published
-
Wout van Aert to stay at Visma-Lease a Bike for 'rest of his career'
The Belgian has signed a "unique" contract with his Dutch team, with an unknown end date
By Adam Becket Published
-
Wout van Aert out for rest of season with 'serious' knee injury
Visma-Lease a Bike rider requires intravenous antibiotics to reduce infection risk
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Wout van Aert’s 2023 Tour of Britain prize money still in limbo
Funds still outstanding after British Cycling agreed to honour prize money
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert to continue to 'chase opportunities' at Tour de France, provided Jonas Vingegaard is safe
'We want Wout to win a stage, but we have to look at it day by day', says Visma-Lease a Bike DS Frans Maassen
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
How one phone call from Wout van Aert led to the Belgian riding the Tour de France
Visma-Lease a Bike sporting director Merijn Zeeman reveals Van Aert said he wanted "to do something special"
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
21 things you didn't know about Wout van Aert
From studying computer science at university through to what he eats for breakfast
By Tom Thewlis Last updated