Dwars door Vlaanderen 2021: Favourites

One could argue that Dwars door Vlaanderen is a final test before Sunday’s showdown. But not all big guns show up. Van Aert is saving fuel, while the other two pretenders for Flanders’ Finest, Van der Poel and Alaphilippe, do start in Dwars door Vlaanderen.

Since 2017, the race takes place four days before the Tour of Flanders. The Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg have been taken out of the last 35 kilometres since then to make the race less hard. Yet, the riders decide for themselves how hard a race will be. Dwars door Vlaanderen is an attrition race anyhow, with all those climbs and cobblestones packed together in the last 115 kilometres.

Still active riders who won Dwars door Vlaanderen before are Niki Terpstra (2012, 2014), Jelle Wallays (2015), Jens Debusschere (2016), Yves Lampaert (2017, 2018), and Mathieu van der Poel (2019). The race was cancelled last year due the COVID-16 pandemic.

Lampaert’s wins happened after late attacks, while Van der Poel won a five-up sprint in 2019.

Davide Ballerini (Omloop), Mads Pedersen (Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne), Kasper Asgreen (E3 Saxo Bank Classic), and Wout van Aert in the Flemish classics of 2021.

Favourites 2021 Dwars door Vlaanderen

*** Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe
** Jasper Stuyven, Stefan Küng, Matteo Trentin, Tim Wellens
* Søren Kragh Andersen, Dylan van Baarle, Anthony Turgis