In a thrilling finale, Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) emerged victorious in the 80th edition of the Belgian classic Dwars door Vlaanderen, a demanding 184.6-kilometer race between the Belgian towns of Roeselare and Waregem.
When everything pointed to a victory for Wout van Aert after a long-range attack, Filippo Ganna, who had suffered a broken handlebar and a puncture, appeared in the final meters to stage a spectacular comeback and take the win in Waregem.
The race started at a very high pace from the outset. Breakaway attempts were constant during the first 40 kilometers, with no group managing to establish itself until the first key section of the course.
The first major attack came around kilometer 100, coinciding with the passage through Berg Ten Houte. A large group of top riders formed there, including names like Mads Pedersen and Christophe Laporte, forcing several teams to reorganize their chase from behind.
The race gradually intensified on the series of climbs and cobbled sections, with constant accelerations on Knokteberg and Hotond thinning out the peloton. At this point, the race was already taking its toll, with notable riders abandoning, such as Arnaud De Lie, who couldn’t overcome the fatigue of the course.
The key moment came about 45 kilometers from the finish, on the Eikenberg. It was there that Van Aert launched a powerful attack that definitively shattered the race. Only a few riders initially managed to respond, but the Belgian persisted, establishing a leading group that would eventually shrink even further. In the final third of the race, Van Aert definitively whittled down the breakaway and remained with a small group that also included riders like Romain Grégoire and Niklas Larsen. However, the accumulated fatigue and constant pressure from behind kept the race wide open.
With about 10 kilometers to go, the Belgian again changed the pace on the climb of Nokereberg, leaving his breakaway companions behind and launching a solo attack towards the finish. For several kilometers, he maintained a seemingly sufficient advantage, with gaps of around 10-15 seconds over a chasing group in the midst of reorganizing.
Behind, the race never stopped. Filippo Ganna, who suffered a puncture and a broken handlebar, recovered and was one of the most active in the chase, first trying to close the gap and then becoming the main threat to the leader.
His persistence eventually broke the dynamics of the chasing group and allowed him to close dangerously in the final kilometers. In the final kilometer, with Van Aert still holding on at the front, Ganna completed his comeback. The Italian, after a sustained chase, managed to catch and overtake the Belgian in the final meters to secure a well-deserved victory.
Van Aert, who had come close to winning after a powerful display, had to settle for second place once again in a race that continues to elude him. Behind them, a small group arrived at full speed, confirming the difficulty of an edition that was once again decided by the smallest of margins.
Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026 Classification
1. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) – 3:48:27
2. Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – same time
3. Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) – +1s
4. Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team) – +1s
5. Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – +1s
6. Orluis Aular (Movistar Team) – +1 s
7. Christophe Laporte (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +1s
8. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) – +1s
9. Vito Braet (Lotto-Intermarché) – +1 s
10. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) – +1s
Source: www.brujulabike.com