– They cycled so slowly that it became dangerous for the others. Cycling legend Eddy Merckx, who (among other things) has won the Tour of Flanders twice, the WC three times and the Tour de France five times, was ready in his speech to the Belgian major newspaper Het Nieuwsblad after the Tour of Flanders. The newspaper itself referred to the whole thing as a “bizarre act” and the tactics of the DSM team have met with a lot of opposition in recent days. The Dutch team was among the best in the battle for position heading into Kortekeer, an asphalted hill that comes with just under 130 kilometers to go in the men’s race. The road up the hill is known to be narrow and with three riders in the front row, and with the help of an Ineos rider, they spread out wide and made sure no one got past. At the same time, they rode so late that they barely made it forward. The speed was so low that those on TV 2’s broadcast speculated whether it could be a protest. – It’s one thing to cycle late, but cycling at walking speed was a bit strange. I can’t understand what they might be protesting about. Now you see that they are lagging behind, because they are unable to keep their balance, said TV 2’s expert commentator Thor Hushovd, adding that it was “not understandable”. – This was an extremely special tactic, he continued. SURPRISED: Thor Hushovd has raced the cobblestone classics in Flanders a number of times, but understood little of what happened in Sunday’s race. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB – To make those behind crash into each other It wasn’t all a protest, however. Almost towards the top, the DSM riders sprinted and made sure to stretch out the rest of the field. This led to the field being split into several parts. Among those who ended up at the back was star rider Mathieu van der Poel. However, the Dutchman recovered and finished second. After the race, he took to Twitter, where he sourly wrote: – Chapeau (hats off) Team DSM, and attached a clapping emoji. For the DSM team, things did not go as well. John Degenkolb became the team’s only rider in the top 50, in 19th place. Alexander Kristoff finished in front. The Norwegian was in a good position entering Kortekeer, around 20th position, and got to experience the pace up close. – It’s a tactic to get those behind to click out and crash into each other, then give maximum gas so it explodes. But it happens almost every time on that hill, he says. 37 seconds last year – 82 seconds this year The slope is also used in E3 Harelbeke and Dwars door Vlaanderen. Especially in the first-mentioned race, it has an important role, as it continues with a narrow and technical descent down towards the race’s most important hill. In the Flanders area, on the other hand, it is far less important as the race continues on a wide and large road for the next few kilometres. The Strava segment up the hill also shows that the acceleration in this year’s Tour of Flanders was slower than normal and especially in the steep middle section. There, Kristoff spent one minute and 22 seconds covering 190 metres, with an average speed of 8.6 kilometers per hour. At its lowest, the speed was as low as 3.4 kilometers per hour. In comparison, he spent 37 seconds on the same part in last year’s race. – It was unnecessary and just nonsense. That puts half the field at risk, says sporting director of Uno-X, Gino Van Oudenhove. Cycling expert Jan Bakelants believes it is stupid to exploit the accordion effect in the field like this. – It creates nervousness at a time when there should be no nervousness, he says to Het Nieuwsblad. – As a sponsor, I would not be happy about this. The first DSM rider ends up far down on the results list. Then you don’t keep up with the race and you stand out along the way with an unsporting act, says the Belgian. Norwegian DSM rider: – I don’t think it would have been reacted in the same way Classics specialist Amund Grøndahl Jansen is out with an injury, but followed Sunday’s ride. He says that it is common for it to run late in Kortekeer, but that on Sunday it may have dragged on a little longer. – It is a very annoying moment in the race, he says. He still thinks it is inside. – Those who are first can speed up for me. Ineos could also have increased the pace, so it is not just DSM. But I don’t think they gain much from it, other than to annoy the field and make up for it since. Alexander Kristoff also points out that you usually cycle slowly up the hill. – Everyone knows it will happen there. That is why there is so much fighting in there to sit at the front. So since everyone knows it’s going to happen, I can’t quite see why it should be unsporting, he says. NOT UNSPORTING: Alexander Kristoff believes that DSM’s tactics were not unsporting. Here from Dwars door Vlaanderen last week. DSM rider Leon Heinschke on wheels. Photo: DAVID PINTENS / AFP Jonas Iversby Hvideberg is one of two Norwegians in DSM, but has not raced in the cobblestone classics this year due to a rollover at the front. – In general, this is a tactic that is quite widespread in this type of race. Trek did the same at the same location in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Cycling is as much about power as position, especially in this type of riding. That people react because it is the DSM that does this seems a bit strange to me. I don’t think it would have been reacted in the same way if other teams did the same, says Hvideberg. Defends the tactic Sports director of the DSM team, Pim Ligthart, supports Hvideberg’s view. He says to Het Nieuwsblad that he thinks the same thing happens in 90 percent of all races in Flanders. – For us, this is about positioning, he says. Asked if the tactic works to invite overturning, Ligthart replies: – A fan invites to fall. Attacking a descent invites a fall. I think it’s more nuanced than that. The race itself was won by Slovenian Tadej Pogacar. A new opportunity awaits the classic riders in the Scheldeprijs on Wednesday, before the spring cobbled classics are rounded off with Paris-Roubaix at the weekend.
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