NOS Cycling•today, 08:50
A windfall for Visma-Lease a Bike. Dylan van Baarle is fit in time to participate in the Tour of Flanders.
The winner of Paris-Roubaix in 2022, who has already cycled to numerous places of honor in Flanders, had to cancel sick from Dwars door Vlaanderen earlier in the week.
Last week, 31-year-old Van Baarle also crashed in the E3 Saxo Classic, which left him with a painful hip. The Dutch champion’s crash was part of a series of personal setbacks for Visma-Lease a Bike.
The low point in that series occurred on Wednesday, when leader Wout van Aert suffered fractures in his sternum, collarbone and several ribs in a heavy fall in Dwars door Vlaanderen.
Van Aert breaks collarbone in a hard fall in Dwars door Vlaanderen
On Sunday, Van Baarle will form a team with, among others, the American Matteo Jorgsenson, who won Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday, and the Belgian Tiesj Benoot.
Van der Poel favorite
In 2022, in his last participation in ‘de Ronde’, Van Baarle came second behind Mathieu van der Poel. Van der Poel (from Alpecin-Deceuninck) is again favorite on Sunday, especially now that Van Aert is missing.
Last year, Van Baarle missed the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix due to a crash in the E3 Saxo Classic.
