Matis Louvel (Arkéa) has succeeded Remco Evenepoel on the honor roll of the Druivenkoers. Just like in 2021, the winner crossed the finish line solo. Louvel had ridden away in the final from a group that included Démare and Van Gestel.
Mathieu van der Poel made his comeback in the peloton after a lesser Tour de France. But Biniam Girmay, Dylan Teuns, Victor Campenaerts and Tim Wellens also marked this 62nd Grape Race with a dot on their calendar.
Already in the first lap a leading group of five riders formed: Mathijs Paasschens (Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen) Robin Carpenter (Human Powered Health) Kamiel Bonneu (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) Paul Ourselin (Total Energies) and Bram Dissel (BEAT Cycling). The five cycled a maximum lead of about three minutes together.
The peloton let it go for a long time and with 90 kilometers to go the gap was reduced to 1 minute. Just then double bad luck for Alpecin-Deceuninck. Mathieu van der Poel had a puncture and Jasper Philipsen had mechanical problems. Both riders were able to quickly rejoin.
A fall in the peloton in which Victor Campenaerts was also involved caused dismemberment. At the start of the last lap, that peloton caught sight of the 5 front runners and at 25 kilometers from the finish it was over for the five escapees.
Van Gestel serves as a springboard for Louvel
Dries Van Gestel then disbanded his devils on the Bekestraat. The Total Energies rider split with the peloton at the top of the slope. Four other riders – Démare en Welten (FDJ), Matis Louvel (Arkea) and Simon Clarke (Israel) – were able to join just before the Veeweidestraat.
In the background, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Wanty had missed the battle and despite the frantic efforts of Dries De Bondt and Biniam Girmay on the Smeysberg, the 5 birds had started flying.
On the cobblestones of the Moskesstraat, the last slope of the day, Matis Louvel saw his chance to accelerate. The 23-year-old Frenchman was able to make a small gap, persevered until the finish and took one of the best victories of his career.
Arnaud Démare won the sprint for second place, ahead of our compatriot Dries Van Gestel.
Watch Matis Louvel’s decisive attack
Matis Louvel: “This win is no surprise”
This victory doesn’t really come as a surprise to 23-year-old Louvel: “I know what I’ve got and I’ve already had a good season this year with some nice places of honor in the classics at the beginning of this season.”
“I rode the Dauphiné, Paris Nice and my first Tour. So I knew I had the capacity to win a race like this and I’m glad I did today.”
Everyone said you were the best man in the race today. “I planned my day well to use as little energy as possible. In the final I had good legs but I had to anticipate to avoid the sprint, because I didn’t stand a chance against Démare.”
“In the future I would like to do even better in the Tour of Flanders and Paris
Roubaix. I am having fun on the bike. Cobblestones are really my thing, but you have to have a bit of luck in such races.”
The decisive attack by Matis Louvel in the Moskesstraat. The bird has gone flying
Girmay takes the peloton in tow in the peloton
Van Gestel gets 4 males in the Veeweidestraat
Dries Van Gestel attacks the cobblestones of the Bekestraat
