Greg Van Avermaet
"That was the goal of the day.
"Even though I didn't have the same legs as in A Travers la Flandre on Wednesday, I managed to be present in the final. With my experience in this race, I managed to grab the podium. I know that on a classic like the Ronde Van Vlaanderen with 254 kilometers, I still have resources at the end of the race. The podium was the goal of the day, I have no regrets today. I'm happy to bring this first podium to AG2R CITROËN TEAM, which has invested a lot in the Flanders Classics. The whole team has worked well this winter, we are happy to race together and it works."
"After podiums at E3, Gent Wevelgem, we manage to be among the top three in the world's biggest classic.
JULIEN JURDIE: "A champion's character
"We went through all kinds of feelings today. The group was well in place in the first kilometers. The exclusion of Michael Schär destabilized the group. At the same time, Greg never gave up, he was always at the front. He knew how to close the gaps to come back. He has the character of a champion and he showed it again today. We are going to get our first podium on this race, it was a great moment to live it! After podiums in E3, Gent Wevelgem, we manage to be among the three best in the biggest classic of the world. We can be proud and it gives us a lot of motivation for the future.
The news
Sarreau third on the Roue Tourangelle
Marc Sarreau signed his first podium of the season by taking the 3rd place of the Roue Tourangelle, third event of the French Cup. "With the wind, it was a bit tense all day. Despite that, we had a good team race. And on the line, I was beaten by someone stronger than me. It's my first podium of the season, the form is not yet optimal but it gives motivation for the future". In the French Cup ranking, Aurélien Paret-Peintre is 3rd (leader of the youth), Marc Sarreau 5th. We are still leading the team ranking.
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The number
Since 2014, Greg Van Avermaet has participated in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen seven times. He has finished on the podium four times. Second in 2014 and 2017, he finished third in the 2015 edition and therefore 2021.