The Frenchman showcased his versatility and took a superb victory in Dwars door het Hageland, one week after his success in Heistse Pijl.
Dwars door het Hageland didn’t disappoint again, this 20th edition being another eventful one that had all the ingredients of a great race: a challenging 180km course, early attacks, countless splits in the peloton, a fast tempo, and Soudal Quick-Step in the mix at all times.
Of course, a breakaway was in the spotlight after a crazy start to the race, but only for a brief moment, as the bunch easily came back and put an end to their hopes. Around 100 kilometers from the finish, following a series of skirmishes, the peloton split for good, and when that happened, our team was present at the front with three riders: Yves Lampaert, Paul Magnier and Dries Van Gestel. That group remained as one until the last 70 kilometers, when another selection happened, leaving only ten men in the lead.
Victorious in Heistse Pijl last week, Magnier remained there for Soudal Quick-Step and produced a gutsy ride on this relentless parcours around Diest. Not only that the Frenchman closed down some dangerous moves, he also made it back to the front on the final lap after being held up behind a crash, one of the many that took place on the tricky dirt segments of the race. The winning move of the day was sparked with 20 kilometers to go, when Magnier, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility) got away and quickly established a 20-second gap.
Paul was incredibly strong, taking some long pulls together with the Norwegian and helping the trio maintain a nice buffer, before launching a powerful acceleration that dropped Philipsen. Soon after, two of the Belgian’s teammates bridged across, and the three entered together on the uphill final kilometer leading to the citadel. There, on the brutal cobbles, the 21-year-old – caked in dust and tired after the fantastic effort he had put in throughout the day – used the last ounces of energy he still had after this frantic race to drop all his opponents and solo to victory, his eighth as a Soudal Quick-Step rider.
“I’m very happy to win and keep the ball rolling for the Wolfpack! Today was stressful and full gas from the beginning, but my teammates helped me be in the best position the entire time. It wasn’t easy with so many Alpecin riders there in the final part, but I had strong legs and left everything on the road. Coming onto the last hill, I knew that I had to be at the front, and once I made it there, I pushed hard in order to make the difference. It was one of my hardest days on the bike and I’m delighted I could bring it home and repay the team for their confidence”, said Paul, the first French winner of Dwars door het Hageland, after one of the best races of the year.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
