Filippo Ganna produced one of the most dramatic finishes of the 2026 Spring Classics season on Wednesday, storming past a solo Wout van Aert in the final 150 meters to win the 80th edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen in Waregem, Belgium. It was Ganna’s first-ever victory in a one-day race — remarkably, all his previous professional wins had come in time trials and stage races — and it came at the cruellest possible expense of the Belgian champion, who looked certain to have the race won with just meters to go.
How the Race Unfolded
The race exploded on the Eikenberg climb with around 40 kilometers remaining. Van Aert launched a decisive attack on the steep Flemish hellingen, first distancing the riders around him before bridging across to the leaders to form a new front group with Romain Grégoire and Niklas Larsen. The trio stayed together until the first passage of the Nokereberg, where Grégoire dropped off the pace, leaving Van Aert and Larsen alone at the front.
On the final climb, Van Aert accelerated again, dropping Larsen to go solo. Behind, chaos reigned. Ganna had been forced to change bikes ahead of the Eikenberg, and the handlebars on his replacement bike snapped — leaving him scrambling back onto his original machine while Van Aert was building what seemed like an insurmountable lead.
What followed was a pursuit that will be talked about for years. Ganna, the Italian time trial world champion known for his extraordinary engine, attacked from a reduced peloton and began to close the gap on the lone Belgian leader. The average speed of Ganna’s chase was a staggering 48.5 km/h in an attack-riddled, out-of-control race. He made the catch just 150 meters from the line, surging past a visibly exhausted Van Aert to take a stunning victory.
Heartbreak for Van Aert — Again
For Van Aert, the result was brutally familiar. He narrowly lost last year’s edition of the same race to Neilson Powless, and this defeat was arguably even more painful — overhauled in the final moments after doing everything right for 250 kilometers. His post-race reaction captured the frustration perfectly: he said he tried everything to win, and thought he had just enough to make it, but after the last corner, Ganna was there.
The result will sting as Van Aert prepares for this Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, where he’ll face an even more stacked field including Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel. But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that Van Aert’s form is clearly exceptional — he was the strongest rider on the road for virtually the entire race. The gap between winning and losing at this level is measured in meters and moments, and Van Aert has the legs to contend at the Ronde.
What It Means for Ganna
For Ganna, this victory represents a significant evolution. The 30-year-old Italian has long been recognized as one of the most powerful riders in the peloton — a four-time individual pursuit world champion and multiple time trial winner at the Grand Tours. But one-day races have remained elusive, with his pure power sometimes insufficient against the punchy accelerations that Flemish racing demands.
Dwars door Vlaanderen changes that narrative. Ganna proved he can not only survive the chaos of a Flemish Classic but thrive in it — recovering from a bike change and broken handlebars to hunt down and pass one of the best riders in the world. With Paris-Roubaix coming on April 13, where his time trial power would be perfectly suited to the long, grinding cobblestone sectors, Ganna has suddenly emerged as a serious contender for cycling’s most brutal Monument.
Full Top 10 Results
1. Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) 2. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) 3. Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) 4. Biniam Girmay (NSN). The race was run at an exceptionally high average speed, reflecting the aggressive racing that characterized a day of constant attacks from the very first kilometers.
What This Means for the Spring Classics
Dwars door Vlaanderen is traditionally the final dress rehearsal before the Tour of Flanders, and this edition delivered performances that reshape the narrative heading into Easter Sunday. Van Aert’s aggressive racing confirms he’ll be a major factor at the Ronde, while Ganna adds an unpredictable element to what was already shaping up to be a fascinating Paris-Roubaix.
For cycling fans, the Spring Classics are delivering drama at every turn this season. The women’s Tour of Flanders promises its own compelling storylines, and with the cobblestone Monuments on the horizon, the best racing of the year may still be ahead. If Ganna can ride like this on broken equipment, imagine what he’ll do with a full set of handlebars at Roubaix.
