Van Aert shows early-season power to win Het Nieuwsblad

Local hero Wout van Aert opened the classic season by surging away from a powerful pack to win Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday.

Van Aert attacked with 13 kilometres to go at the foot of the Bosberg, the last climb.

A star-studded leading group hesitated before giving chase but even when they organised a pursuit, Van Aert, a Belgian who rides for Jumbo-Visma, continued to power away from them.

"I didn't think I was in such good shape already," he said.

He finished 22 seconds ahead of Italian Sonny Colbrelli who edged Belgian pair Greg Van Avermaet and Oliver Naesen in a sprint for second.

"Considering what Wout showed today, his phenomenal power, second place was the best I could achieve," said Colbrelli.

Van Avermaet said: "Hats off to Wout! He was really impressive."

Another Belgian, Victor Campenaerts, was fifth, even though he twice had to scramble to catch up to the leaders after a crash and swapping his bike.

The one-day race was the first of the northern European season.

Van Aert, who won two classic in each of the last two seasons, including one of the five 'monuments', Milan-San Remo in 2020, said he was targeting the first two monuments of the northern season: the Tour of Flanders on 3 April and Paris-Roubaix two weeks later.

"My big goals are in a few weeks. But winning this early in the season is already a nice bonus."

He also added he was thinking of wider issues.

"In the current circumstances, with what is happening in Ukraine, the sport is really secondary. I would like to have a thought for all the people who are suffering from this situation and hope that common sense will prevail."

In the women's race, 39-year-old Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten held off compatriot Demi Vollering, 14 years her junior, in a two-woman sprint.