Remco Evenepoel won the 89th edition of the traditional post-Tour de France criterium in Aalst on Monday evening, beating Belgian champion Rune Herregodts in a sprint in his home town.
The Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe rider, who finished second overall in this year’s Tour de France and is the reigning Olympic champion, claimed victory in front of local fans.
French rider Valentin Paret-Peintre of Soudal Quick-Step finished third.
Tom Van Asbroeck of NSN then won the sprint from the chasing peloton ahead of Lars Craps of Lotto-Intermarché.
Evenepoel said afterwards that he was not at his best following a demanding Tour de France, but was delighted to win again in Aalst, where he had also triumphed in 2019.
He praised the atmosphere and the support from the crowd, saying racing in his home town made the evening especially memorable.
Evenepoel said Herregodts had pushed him hard and described Paret-Peintre as a formidable rival.
He added that he had received many congratulations for his Tour de France performance and said Aalst’s cobbles reminded him at times of the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
After completing a few final obligations, he said, he was looking forward to returning home, sleeping in his own bed and being back in familiar surroundings after several weeks working in Spain and France.
