Wout van Aert just avoids barrier crash as tactical error costs him in Benidorm

Wout van Aert in action in Benidorm
Wout van Aert in action in Benidorm (Image credit: Matthias Ekman / www.matthiasekman.de))

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) narrowly avoided crashing on the home stretch in Benidorm, wobbling against the barriers as Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) crossed the line for victory just in front of him. 

The near-miss changed nothing of the outcome of the race, and was perhaps itself a product of Van Aert trailing his old foe through the final bend and into a very short home straight.

Patrick Fletcher

Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.