Development Tars Poelvoorde takes solo victory in Triptyque Ardennais

The Triptyque Ardennais started off with 150 kilometers, from the German Hellenthal to Büllingen in Belgium. In a rainy stage, two riders took off in the beginning. “We tried to control the race from the start, so not too many guys could ride away”, Tars Poelvoorde looks back. “After 60 kilometers, four other guys made the jump making it six riders in the lead. After 80 kilometers, attacks started coming in the peloton which made the breakaway being caught.”

“With 50 kilometers to go, myself and seven other riders rode away. We worked well together. With 30 kilometers to the finish we tackled the local laps, where Mauro (Cuylits) joined us. The moment he joined, I attacked on a technical part of the lap. I built out a gap of 30 seconds quickly and took it to the finish line, also with the fantastic work of Mauro in the group behind me. He still finished second.”

“This victory means a lot as it’s the first time this season I really battled for the win. I was already in good shape before, I helped the team, but I missed out on this extra bit to fight for the victory myself, until today. I am the first leader, and with four other jerseys (mountain, points, youth and best Belgian jersey), it was successful already, whatever happens tomorrow. The final tomorrow brings a lot of climbing, so we will see how that goes.”