The Belgian is Soudal Quick-Step’s best placed rider in the standings thanks to a solid performance on a course that was more tailored to the true specialists.
Ilan Van Wilder, who started his third season in the team’s colours last month with some strong outings and a pair of top five finishes at the Challenge Mallorca, was amongst the early starters, but despite this disadvantage and the strong headwind on the second part of the 12.1km course, he put together a nice time trial, which saw him conclude in sixth place, just 17 seconds behind winner Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).
That result meant a massive leap in the general classification for the 23-year-old Van Wilder ahead of the week’s first summit finish, Jebel Jais, where more significant gaps should appear between the contenders, leading to another reshuffle of the ranking.
“I tried to stay as aerodynamic as possible on this route, where the wind had quite the impact. We had some tailwind in the beginning, followed by some sidewind, and then four kilometers of full headwind, which made it difficult to keep the pace, but I managed it on these flat roads. I improved in the discipline since joining the team and I am happy about my performance, especially as the gaps aren’t that big. We’ll now see what happens on the two mountain stages, but I hope to do a good general classification”, said Ilan, who sits sixth overall.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
