Wout van Aert will ‘regret’ letting Christophe Laporte win Gent-Wevelgem – Eddy Merckx and Tom Boonen wade in
Belgian legend Eddy Merckx has admitted he would not have gifted a team-mate victory like Wout van Aert did for Christophe Laporte at Gent-Wevelgem, while Tom Boonen has suggested the Jumbo-Visma star will “regret” his kindness.
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“I won on Friday [E3 Saxo Classic] and I have my sights set on the races to come. Christophe also had a difficult start to the season due to illness. He is such a team player that it was an easy decision,” Van Aert said after finishing runner-up on Sunday.
“I bet 1,000 euros with my son that Laporte will win… It’s his choice to let a team-mate win, but I wouldn’t have done it.”
He added: “Of course, I don’t know what’s going on within the team.
“Wout van Aert was by far the best, you saw that on the Kemmel. He could write history by winning Harelbeke [E3], Wevelgem and the Tour of Flanders.”
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Boonen, a three-time winner of Gent-Wevelgem, also said he would not have let Laporte win had he found himself in Van Aert’s position.
“I have also helped team-mates to the win, but never in such a situation,” said Boonen.
“You help team-mates to let them fight for the win. This again looked good for the team’s marketing, but I don’t know if I would have done it.
“Jumbo scores, but Gent-Wevelgem is Gent-Wevelgem. That race is a nice addition to your honours list. It is more than a ride in Paris-Nice.”
He also questioned what a gifted victory would mean to Laporte, who would have been a heavy underdog in a sprint showdown with Van Aert.
“Do you want to win like this?” continued Boonen. “I would have sprinted for it. Such a sprint would have looked strange, but it was the fairest.”
He continued: “Wout is going to regret it. Riders come and go. Christophe Laporte will probably become the key figure for Wout in Flanders and Roubaix, but that is not a guarantee.
“Suppose you have a hard fall after 5km on Sunday, then you will regret it very much.”
Van Aert heads to the Tour of Flanders on Sunday amongst the favourites, along with defending champion Van der Poel and Pogacar.
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