Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte are making a habit of processions like these. There was a disarming sense of déjà vu at Gent-Wevelgem as the Jumbo-Visma pair conjured a reprise of the long-distance, two-up effort that netted them victory at E3 Harelbeke a year ago.
Back then, the leadership hierarchy dictated that Van Aert would cross the line first. This time, the Belgian was content to yield victory to his teammate, but that was a mere detail. The chilling effect on the rest of the peloton was exactly the same here when they cruised away on the second ascent of the Kemmelberg with some 55km still to race.
