🧱 Mathieu van der Poel & Elisa Longo Borghini’s HISTORIC Flanders wins ANALYSED | The Gruppetto

Join Rob Hatch as he looks back at an incredible edition of the Tour of Flanders. During the show he’s joined by former UCI World Champion and Belgian cycling legend, Philippe Gilbert to talk through the key moments of the race, and gets an inside look at the commentators experience with Matt Stephens.

News and coverage from the #1 sports destination and the #HomeofCycling in Europe. Watch Eurosport anytime, anywhere via: https://bit.ly/3boIVvd

We bring you some of the biggest sports events in the world, such as Vuelta A Espana, The Olympic Games, Tour De France, Giro D’Italia, World Championships amongst so many more.

Do you want to see more? Subscribe now to watch Eurosport anytime, anywhere: https://bit.ly/3boIVvd

Follow us on:
YouTube: https://goo.gl/o9rbKg
Facebook: https://goo.gl/jMfLNR
Twitter: https://goo.gl/jxT1fY
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TOtykZ

Welcome back to Belgium where it’s the morning after the day before and now I’m not talking about the trais beers although there might have been a few of those consumed as well over the last few days given the importance of this particular weekend in this land vran’s moist flanders’s finest the tour of

Flanders is a big day in this part of the world this year it was on Easter Sunday and the real religion here is of course cycling its cobal Classics and its BS later we’ll get some insight into what happened with a former champion and a Belgian hero but before we begin let’s

Have a little look back a recap of the rating of the last few days D vandra literally translates to straight through or across Flanders and that is how the wind was blowing on a Wednesday afternoon leel Tre tried to use their numbers with Longo borghini and fenroy

But Vima Lisa bike were always wise to it as too for a while was PUK petersa of Phenix after the climbs had failed to make the difference and a neutralization had stopped proceedings earlier in the race the attacks were non-stop world champion kopeeki also managed to get into the mix

F amroy once again went away fos followed here and the two would make it to the Finish Line a long powerful Sprint on the road to wakim’s Rainbow Stadium launched by the owner of more rainbow jerseys than she can care to remember won the race for Foss adding a

Another new event to her unmatchable palarz and reaching a new number in the record books it’s 250 up for Mariana Vos a milestone that we might not see for some time if ever again the headlines in the men’s race centered on some Riders winning from new countries and others

Shockingly crashing out on a fast downhill that really would shape the rest of the week after hard racing in the wind down went fat stven pedison Kish bam and others with injuries visible and quite disturbingly audible ahead the racing as it does continued this Melisa bike had already

Been in a top position and they moved forward with their remaining leaders benot and Jorgenson Kung bettiol Valen and a couple of surviving members of the Breakaway broke away again in the finale and all continued to have a go at each other in and around NOA bettiol paid for

His own big effort with cramp tling had made it back and would try to follow bote so too would the bont the winning move was made by Mato Jorgenson 7 km remained when he broke free the others hesitated and the tactics paid off the US Rider who’d already made a huge step

Forward by winning pin made history by becoming the first American winner of one of flanders’s most traditional races it would be a Bittersweet day for the team however with the news coming through after the event that wal vard who gave up much of his winter cycl cross program a discipline where he’s a

Three-time world champion would be out of the spring with broken ribs a collarbone and sternum he’d followed his coach’s new plans to race less train more and be fresher for the Cobble monuments the 29-year-old spent 22 nights at altitude away from his young family he missed races he would have

Otherwise been a candidate to win Wednesday would also prove to be the end of the spring for another Flanders favorite in yasper sta the leadle Tre Rider had taken a different approach to racing putting in plenty of days with it paying off in arle Baker where he was

Second at E3 but again a broken collarbone in the same crash meant that Flanders and rube were also a nogo for the former Sano winner all of that drama would lead us into Sunday and the high mass of the Flemish Holy Week everybody coming dressed in their Sunday Best try

To recite the lines from the winning H sheets they might just need some divine intervention to win as well so let’s start with the men’s race shall we 270 km 17 heling and or Hills and seven further cobbled sectors with a flag dropped Luke durbridge set things off

Five Riders got up the road three came across but it would take 45 km for the Breakaway to settle down they get a maximum gap of 4 minutes 20 seconds alaa kernik were controlling things at the front for match Fonda Paul there was a lack of control with the

Racing really getting on the way as early as just the Third Hill the wolfberg a big surprise as one of the pre-race favorites Mato jensson the winner of dor vandra attacked with2 km to go it was soon clear that teams wanted to make it as difficult possible

For the biggest of favorites F Theo pson Mass pson the former world champion then attacked with 109 K to go that strong things out and put everybody into different groups bethers with an attack with just under 90 km to go the kiles of visala bike would lose their sting a

Little 74 km to go on Berton ala when the race once again changed bson out for a long long time on his own with Janny verir anchoring him and after Vima Lisa bike played all of their main cards it was pretty clear pretty soon the match F paol had the

Aces up his sleeve the big drama occurred on the coppen and it would be all over realistically in a Flash Ivan Garcia Cortina who would have thought it for Mau star who had options in the final Mau star going from kobal phobia over the 40 years plus they’ve been

Coming here in the men’s team at least only their women’s team had ever managed to win the race to having options with oad lascano also following up but Cortina had a nightmare May on the kenberg it wasn’t quite Skibo and the 1980s but it was pretty close Fondo in

Cross style used his technique and his power to ride past Jorgenson was looking good but not quite as good as F Paul and bson despite himself having been at the front and going for it was still showing what a real Warrior he was the rest were walking they were following there was

Panic and maybe even resignation behind for some that was the of vapo on his way to an historic Victory with as many as 40 odd kilom to go he still have to ride over the stonberg and up the tberg then toona and as he did all of that his extended lead

Soon became over a minute by the time the Dutch world champion roared down the newer quadon descent with one minute and 45 of a gap he would then head up to the alamont for the final time on his way to equaling an old record three victories it would be

Joining a select elite club there was never any question of him getting caught it was a sequence changing record setting a special day and who else but Mato fondul right at the peak of his powers winning in the rainbow jersey and becoming just the Sixth Man to do so

Sharing the record for the most wins three victories for fer Paul on his way to becoming a monument among Monument’s winners the biggest winning margin since 2013 but there would be drama behind on the Finish Line in the battle for second and third place the best ride of his

Career from Luca msato of Italy took second place Michael Matthews was third on the line however he was relegated for cutting across the line questionable Decision One you agree with May or not a heartbreaking one certainly for the Australian meant that Neil pollet was a

Man who would be on the podium for UAE who also had two other riders in the top five including 20-year-old Antonio Mado of Portugal on debut he might be a Belgian but it was a strong Belgian triple that was put away beautifully there by Macha fapo now to the women’s

Race which started and finished in alard with all of the main action taking place in the Flemish aren the weather was filthy and the Riders Warriors but as always in one of the toughest tests in World cycling not all the stars would be able to contest the win former world

Champion Lizzie digan went down and she was forced to abandon alongside Maron Royer the racing was fairly contained until the copen then again all the action kicked off keki had her foot down and was running while a select group stayed upright showing power and pedling Away following would try and bring back

The world champion she was looking to set a record of Victories outright but that proved to be unsuccessful and going into the final quam Mon and ped combination the Tactical games would see Riders and groups jumping about vanroy was away on the patberg the last climb

Of this race keki was once again present as was fos but not for long the Steep Hill would once again prove judge jury and executioner on everyone’s chances Longo borghini tried to get to her teammate at the front while niia Domo was looking great for canion Shram and

So too from Leal Trek would ride nadama was looking to upset F amroy and Longo borghini but the Italian was led out by her Dutch teammate for a hard fought victory in terrible conditions another record equaling performance 9 years after her first success at flanders’s finest the Italian champ ion Eliza Longo

Borini joining the two-time winners Club the reward for fan amro’s work to hold off the chasing route behind was a third spot on the podium ahead of kasan adoma who is the first ever Pole to stand on the Flanders Podium as for Longo borghini she’s now

Just one of five Riders who share the record for the most wins in the ROV of Vander I was commmentating on the men’s race the entirety of it with our own Matt Stevens for the host broadcast so after a day of waffling we needed some much more considered and proper Insight

From a former winner and Belgian hero the Euros sport expert our very own Philip jilber okay we’re in alard after the Rond Flander the tour of Flanders as you can see it’s noisy it’s crazy we’ve had the men’s race which we’ll talk about in a minute I think we’re still

Coming to terms with what happened today we’re waiting for the finish of the women’s race I think the same people playing the music were actually keeping me up in my hotel until 6: a.m. this morning they haven’t stopped it’s been one big party it’s always been one big

Party in Belgium and with the last Belgium winner and I’m afraid Philly foration that drought continues the longest ever drought yeah yeah it’s not uh it’s not the greatest day for Belgium I mean like uh yeah we lost a chance with W vanard for sure when he crashed

Last Wednesday but uh we still had like some hope for some Riders but uh we didn’t succeed no success today but what have we just seen because yeah national pride as side we’ve seen something really special today haven’t we mat V paol equaling the record and joining

Those names you know the recent names of course boner kelada you go back there’s bur Mani mus as well I mean incredible he’s now the record holder and just the Sixth Man to win in the rainbow jersey here at the end of the round Vander but

It’s the way in which he did it I’m still coming to terms with it yeah yeah he like a he’s was top favorites like everyone mentioned him everyone mentioned like uh the lake of uh the support he would get from his team and at the end like they turn on with a

Strong team strong tactic and a really strong match of on the pool you know like he really raced like perfectly in my eyes like defensive on the first part like while everyone was attacking like 120k to go like it was full attacks from some of the favorite of the day and he

Will stay calm controlling and uh yeah just saving energy and then at one point he just decided to go like 44 to go he went clear and just nothing well those attacks you say started 120 K to go he attacked what with 40 odd K to go the

Longest solo since you won Solo in the Belgian Champions Dre clur here um and I think it’s the longest winning margin the biggest winning margin for 11 years so all the stats are there it’s an historic performance we’ve had the conditions is it one of the hardest

You’ve seen yeah I think so uh yeah we were at the start we saw it was quite windy there in onp so coming to the climb here was already a hard hard thing to do for the cyclist you know so I think like uh the watchs average watch

Was was quite High when they hit the climbs and then it never stopped you know like uh the Breakaway had uh yeah maximum five minutes I think uh so and they were turning really strong together so it shows like the intensity of the race and then uh like we said already

Like a lot of attacks 120 Cas to go full on so it was like uh crazy it would be interesting uh to to do some research tonight or tomorrow about the whats the the Riders are pushing because it’s something like uh maybe one of the hardest race ever maybe let’s go back

Tactically first because Janny verz I thought did a great job from your expert’s point of view what did he do because he was on the wheel of mar berson and there was a lot of talk before mat vapo he doesn’t have a big team he did today yeah they did uh and

Also like at one point also lost uh saen KAG Anderson when he had to change his will he he’s a key key rider for the team so they lost him and then um yeah the other Riders like you said V and uh yeah some some orders like Lance uh yeah they were doing

Really great job staying calm and then yeah vsh he had the nose to follow Peterson and then I think he was really annoying Peterson because Peterson didn’t like to have him on the wheel and uh I I could see like sometime on clim was coming next to him like to show hey

I’m still here you know like you will not drop me you know and I’m sure that this played a big role on the in the head of Peterson so it was uh he did something really important that we don’t have to minimize no I it did look

Strange for a while when he was coming up to the front cuz you’re thinking hang on a minute they’re riding behind he’s riding at the front it doesn’t look good but now if you look at it after the after the fact it doesn’t like he was

Sort of getting in the head and just messing things around a little yeah exactly V is uh I I don’t think he’s the biggest engine of the pon but uh he always managed to be there where he he need to be so he’s good in POS positioning he’s good in uh cornering

Because of the Cy cross and grael he’s like world champion gravel so yeah this guy is uh is important rider for the classic let’s go to the copon B because I can’t remember in my lifetime modern cycling a coppen bag like this really with the wet it reminded me of sko the

8S and all that sort of stuff um and you mentioned the cyclocross skills the only man who was right up there to the top he was the man wasn’t he yeah it was uh mat again I think uh yeah he did also the copen cycla a few times in the past so

He know how to ride the copen BG so we can see we could see that he use the technique of the cycl course you know putting a lot of weight on the on the wheel wheel he was sliding at one point just on the steepest part so he almost

You know lost the balance but he managed to stay upright and then uh yeah he went clear he had a like a good gap on jensson and then already 30 seconds only on the cop back on the rest of the Riders you know so yeah he he really put

Himself in the best position uh due to this ability of uh of riding the his bike on the copen B and we’ve seen it before he was out in front he was in front he was still going behind you wonder it but the Gap got so bug but

There’s always that worry isn’t it mechanical has he fueled you’ve done it before solo what are you thinking in those final you big long straight behind us what are you thinking yeah it’s interesting to see the perspective you know because uh when you Rider you see

Opposite you see the arch so you see some lights far away and you know like this is where I have to be to to finally win that big race you know so this is like a point that you you see for 5 minutes maybe four five minutes so it’s

Uh really intense and uh yeah how he managed that he eats he drink uh he was really always able to to do what he had to do he even took a gel at 4ks to go something like that so he he really didn’t want to take any risk you know

And uh I think that uh we have also to speak about the the weather it was really cold didn’t look on TV but uh yeah we we tried to interview some of the Riders they were like the lips were like uh completely Frozen they it was

Hard to speak for them uh they could not even put the jacket on because they were freezing so I think mat was aware of that so he knew that his body was burning more energy and he was eating even maybe too much eating maybe even too much then what about behind because

Was it too much attacking from Vima Lisa bik or did they do what they had to do today with the different cards they had to play no wal fard obviously no the thing is that they still had a strong team but no one with the Sprint you know

So all those guys like Vana benot Jenson if they wanted to make a result they had to come alone you know like uh because even if they come with five it’s going to be hard to make Podium you know for them so it’s not like when they have

Vanard or laort they win the Sprints every time or almost every time you know they always one or second of the the Sprints but all these guys they are not really fast so they had no choice of attacking you know so this is why they they went uh offensive and try to break

The race be man again man and and try to play on the numbers because they know if the the race is hard they they going to be there like UAE because strong strong team you know like when the race is hard it’s good for you because it’s like out

Of the seven it will always be still like three or four surviving there and you’re going to play the tactic from them it sounds like the tactics are being played out in the women’s race you can hear Luke the announcer really going crazy here now um going crazy on the

Line and not in a good way Michael Matthews what did you think about that because second was lukot I’ll come to you for him in a minute because that is the performance of a lifetime result of a lifetime for him brilliant stuff for Italian cycl and for AA who needed a

Result with Al at home and ill and then Matthew’s third on the line but poit in third on the podium because of a relegation for Matthews what was your view on that yeah I mean this print is uh is not easy because this is slightly

Up the last 100 me this also this is something we don’t see on TV this is slightly up like 150 50 m to go we can you can just about see it from here looking all the way back there now that I tell you you can maybe see it but

Before that maybe nobody realized that but so when you you start your Sprint you start dying you know like when you hit this 1% especially after 270 km so leading the Sprint in the tour Flanders is never good when you’re not really the strongest and I think like matus was

Feeling that he was like losing speed and he saw like when you were spr you see the wheels coming next to you and I think he he’s still in shock of what happened three weeks ago in in Sano he he let the door open to philipson he

Lost by 20 cm and I was I think that this this image came back to his mind and he closed it a little bit more than what he did in in in Sano because I think everyone also told him like why didn’t you didn’t you close philipsson

Why didn’t you close philipson so media told him teammates all cyclist so I think like it’s been coming a lot of time in his head and this is the reason why he tried to close the guys you know next to him and try try to close Bullit

And it was a mistake of course but uh it’s uh he paid it hard you know because uh podium in Flanders it’s something still uh prestigious of course it is so now he’s really good to 12 so he’s really going home with nothing Well poet

On the podium a big thing for him he’s always been close and close hasn’t he modat he mentioned brilliant there’s one other young man I’d like to talk about fifth place in the end 20year old Antonio Mado fighting amongst these old guys who know these lefts and right

Twists and turns and racing these conditions is he a future winner yeah he’s Portugues so also like uh it’s surprising we don’t really see a lot of Portuguese Riders uh in front of of those Classics I mean in in y or Lombardy it’s more often but uh in

Flanders or Ru this is really rare so yeah it’s a good news and uh yeah UAE really have the nose to have those those Riders like uh um yeah Del Toro now uh this Riders so it’s a lot of big talents coming from from the team now it’s early

Even for us standing here just a few minutes afterwards to think about next week and Ru already but you know everybody’s going to be already asking Renard scotter in the interview tried already to ask mat V the pool about next week ARL Baker Rond ofand Hub that would

Be special and I guess it’s it’s not difficult to look past him because Hub is a different race but again he’s going to go in as the favorite isn’t he of course and uh yeah with the confidence he have he’s going to be there uh so for

Sure he’s uh having a big chance again next week and uh the fact that he already won Ru it’s helping also because uh personally I also came to this point sometimes in the finals you know when you win a race or big race and another one didn’t have that experience or this

Chance you can put pressure on him at one point you can say okay for me situation is okay I don’t want to push anymore because it’s fine for me I don’t need to go faster so up to you you know and you push the order to do more

Efforts and then and then you use that it’s a it’s an extra let’s say teammate your your Parmer is an extra teammate so looking ahead you were in them both you finished them both in the right place which is the biggest race Flanders through b going ahead ah it’s hard to

Say I think uh I experienced BS and uh I think history it’s still rube will gives you more uh I’m Belgium you know for me winning winning flers was something big especially with the Belgium colors uh on on the shoulders it was uh really a big symbol especially I’m from uh French

French F of Belgium you know Woon winning in Flanders you know like all the politic fight for years years and years so it was a big symbol to me but still Ru is something bigger you know like uh I think if I I’m never really traveling a

Lot to USA for example or to some other parts of of the world but if I go there and I said yeah you you know I when I was younger I did a sport cycling and I want to of Flanders they will look at me

What is this but if I said I want R oh what this race with the with the Finish there on the over you know on a track oh wow that’s uh that’s big you know so I think for the big public it’s it’s much important to win

Ru we needed a few of these yesterday to get through Matt Stevenson and I lost count how many we must have consumed Matt minu was busy on the dials himself recording a special insight into exactly how our day went all going to be joined by mat f with a strong Belgian triple

To win the Rovan vandra for the third time in his career as a world champion he’s now with Bobby FY merx boner and Sant we’ve replaced the tour of Flanders winner with a tour of Flanders commentator in the gretto he’s had to put up with me

For seven and a half hours sitting next to me we’ve had lunch espresso chocolate more chocolate breakfast more coffee basically coffee and chocolate all day together yeah and Easter eggs as well we were we we said I was going to have an Easter egg on the first clim climb of

The qu and did uh and that’s when the the race broke apart like the egg in my mouth but yeah it was it was a brilliant it was a brilliant day I mean there’s nothing like the tour of Landers mate is there and I think it is the greatest one

Day race on the calendar it’s my favorite certainly I’m pretty bi I think it’s it’s mine too I I love it and the atmosphere just tell us what is it cuz you came in last night I’ve been here for a week now sing up the atmos atmosphere I love coming here every year

But you also make an effort to come and again poor thing sit next to me all day um I’ve gone really Northern actually talking to you as well what about that it’s just cuz it’s just cuz we’ve been talking Posh all day I might actually end up going to Cockney other than from

North London uh but no there is something I think Rob if I wasn’t doing this job I can tell you now I’d be buying a ticket on the Eurostar and coming over and spending the day in Ard and watching this race maybe getting out on my bike because it is it’s where the

Heart of cycling really is you know the belgians love cycling Flanders L cycling You could argue that you knowy cycling is Flanders I mean it’s it’s there’s a religious fervor here and there’s just a wonderful warm atmosphere they they love their bike racing and what this terrain

Lends to cycling is something special it goes back over a hundred years so it’s seeped in the culture um and there is nothing quite like it and um and every year we’re provided to a wonderful spectacle out on the road the women are still racing now another traditional day

But it’s just something almost intangible about it um but if you’ve never been and we say this on a every year don’t we’ve been doing it for a while now if you’ve never been to Belgium to see Flanders you should and then you’ll really understand what it’s

All about you’ll feel it inside well just to explain to everybody how it works because it might look a little strange well it does look a little strange we stood on a traffic Island on a roundabout that normally want to be anywhere near would you there’s signs up

There this is the slip Road from a Motorway but there’s three lorries up by that big arch there that says donda on it there’s a bit of sort of well there’s a lot of commotion there because we’re getting into the final final stage of the women’s race but

We’ve been talking for what again I said seven 7 and a half hours over the men’s race those three lorries has been our office today we turned up at about 10: to 8 this morning there’s a massive car park behind of all sort of broadcast lorries and satellites and then about 5

Minutes that way is the town of alard itself where there’s thousands of people in the Square it’s a strange atmosphere being at a bik race isn’t it it is cuz it when it’s all on pack this will be just a a regular quite boring ordinary

Bit of road but this took the best part of a week to assemble um I mean it’s like being at a festival it’s it’s it’s it is amazing but once it’s gone it’ll be back to being an an ordinary Road and that’s one of the strange idos synes of

Bike racing there’s a real Temperance about it you know you got the finishes of the gr the grand Tours in these one places but once it’s stripped away it’s just a road and that’s why this sport is so Democratic this is where people can just ride their bikes if they want it’s

Not wly Stadium it’s not the new camp it’s just a piece of road on the outskirts of a provincial town in Belgium yet it’s so so special and so so important well I can bring our bikes tomorrow if you want and have a ride up

And down here raise our arms we can’t go to the camp now or wembling have a kick about tomorrow can we that’s the difference yeah yeah security would indeed be C I think they’re calling us now so we better get off from the gret from alard it’s goodbye well the trip in

Flanders is coming to an end we’ve had the Ronda the Flemish Holy Week so we’re going to order maybe the last portion of frits maybe another beer or two too and certainly a couple of those Belgian coffees and Waffles the Riders well they’ll be thinking seriously about what’s to come next

Week the hell of the north a big big race it’s a big p weekend some of the same protagonists will be there others will be off to think about the Arden maybe others unfortunately missing as we’ve heard already through injury but you can follow it all with us I’ll be in

The commentary box our experts from across Europe will be joining me as well and the group petto will be back only though after you’ve watched it all live with us Saturday sees fam a zwift and you can watch that race live on our digital platforms and on the Telly as

Well it’s euros Sport and Discovery Plus for that and every single pedal stroke of the Sunday in Hell on Euros Sport and Discovery plus will be available to watch on Sunday morning if you have to miss any of it make sure you catch up on our digital platforms and remember too

That on the Euros sport YouTube channel next week we’ll be back once again with the groupo like share subscribe and comment even let us know who you’d like to hear from as well from Belgium from gent it’s goodbye