Either Van Aert needs a win for confidence very badly or Visma-Lease A Bike are playing 5D chess and they’re trying to lull Van der Poel into thinking he can take Van Aert to the line on Sunday no worries.

Take nothing away from Powless, his riding in the closing stages was ice cool but he can’t have believed his luck that Visma Lease A Bike just wanted to take it all the way to the line without trying anything first.

That finish at Dwars Door Vlaanderen was like setting up a striker who hasn’t scored since August with an open goal only for him to pop it wide from four yards.

My first post on The Alternative 92 tells the story of my trip to Monday’s Dundee Derby in the Scottish Cup. This is the first of an occasional series documenting my football travels past and present. open.substack.com/pub/thealter...