Within the circumstances, it was a third-place end that felt like a victory. As if to underline the very fact, Sep Vanmarcke (Israel Premier Tech) punched the air in celebration when he crossed the end line on the finish of a rain-soaked Gent-Wevelgem. He has had higher outcomes on this a part of the world, however few as reassuring.
Virtually two minutes had handed since Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte had rolled dwelling arm in arm, however the Jumbo-Visma pair had already diminished this version of Gent-Wevelgem to a strictly inhouse affair after they solid clear on the Kemmelberg with 55km remaining.
Vanmarcke and the boys left trailing behind them quickly resigned themselves to a contest for the remaining podium place, with the unwieldy chasing group repeatedly splitting and reforming on the lengthy run-in to Wevelgem.
From the second the race handed beneath the towers and spires of Ypres, scarcely seen on a day when West Flanders was draped in wintry cloud, Vanmarcke was continuously attempting to pressure a gap. He finally jumped on Frederik Frison’s decided transfer approaching the end, and he then had the energy fend off the Lotto-Dstny man and the Danish pair of Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Staff Emirates) to take third.
“The 2 guys in entrance have been already lengthy gone and I by no means thought of these two. I used to be simply specializing in getting a very good outcome for me and the staff,” Vanmarcke advised Cyclingnews within the blended zone afterwards. “In the long run, I noticed that the sprinters obtained drained, and all people began to gamble. Within the final 15-20k, I felt like I needed to carry on attacking and following teams as a result of at one level it could break up.
“When Frison went, I went with him instantly. Pedersen got here again, however he had to spend so much of power to catch us, which was good. He launched the dash from faraway, however I might use him as a lead-out and take third place for myself.”
As a neo-professional, Vanmarcke first highlighted his potential as a Classics rider by putting second behind Bernhard Eisel on this very race, and he would once more take second in 2016, overwhelmed solely by Peter Sagan. By that time, Vanmarcke appeared on the cusp of a Monument breakthrough, with close to misses on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, however the grandest prizes have appeared to inch farther from his attain in current seasons. Sunday’s efficiency supplied some welcome reassurance for the 34-year-old.
“The entire season I’ve been feeling nicely and racing on a excessive stage however simply lacking that final bit, so I used to be considering that possibly that is what I’ve left in my tank now, that is my greatest stage,” Vanmarcke admitted. “At the moment proves that if you happen to proceed and hold attempting for the very best, at one level you get an important outcome. It’s an enormous reduction for me and the staff as a result of all people put an enormous effort in.”
Within the second half of final season, Vanmarcke discovered himself racing conservatively for placings as a part of Israel-Premier Tech’s useless try to safe the UCI factors wanted to retain WorldTour standing. Their relegation from the highest flight has lifted a few of that rapid stress to attain factors, and Vanmarcke was free to take dangers as he seemed to win the competition for third place right here.
At this level of the yr on this nook of the world, ideas all the time are inclined to drift in direction of the Tour of Flanders. After a dozen successive participations in his first twelve years as an expert, Vanmarcke was pressured to overlook final yr’s Ronde as a consequence of sickness. He returns to the race subsequent week together with his confidence restored, even when he was pragmatic about his place in a Classics firmament the place Van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar seem to outshine all others.
“We’ve to be sincere,” Vanmarcke mentioned. “The most effective guys are nonetheless far-off from us, however I believe for subsequent weekend I can nonetheless have a very good outcome.
“If you happen to can end third in a race like Gent-Wevelgem, and definitely in right now’s climate situations, then you definately also needs to be capable of get a very good outcome within the Tour of Flanders. This third place right here offers me a very good feeling for the Ronde.”
