Tom Boonen called Wout Van Aert's complaints about Mathieu van der Pol in Ghent-Wevelgem "unnecessary" and warned his fellow Belgian that the same thing would keep happening if he did not "get over it."

After finishing together from the back of the nine-man lead group, Van Aert said he felt targeted by his former cyclocross rivals who "would rather see me lose than give me a chance to win the race."

Boonen, a seven-time Monument winner, downplayed Belgium's current Classics star, saying being marked was a natural consequence of his success in 2020.

"There was absolutely no need for Wout to swear at Mathieu," Boonen, a three-time Ghent-Wevelgem winner, wrote in a column for Het Laatste Nieuws (opens in new tab).

"Just because he is a few steps stronger than the others now doesn't mean you have to let him go. It's simple. It is logical that he is receiving a shadow. I am convinced that Van der Pol was also racing to win. If he wants to win, he cannot let Wout go.

"In a final like Ghent-Wevelgem, when you are in doubt for five to ten seconds, when you shirk your responsibility and look to others to close the gap, you are running towards a big loss. So Van der Poel did what he had to do. Van der Poel does not think, he goes. If you run on the road with a richly honored champion, no gifts will be handed out."

Bohnen acknowledged Van Art's frustration but said it was a mistake to show it, warning that he needed to come to terms with the situation.

"The smartest thing Wout could have done is to cover this issue with love. For riders with a favorite tag, this is a sporting affair," Bohnen wrote.

"Anything is better than looking back ostentatiously on the home straight and letting himself relax. If he can't get past that, he's going to lose more often than not in this fashion.

Despite finishing last in the group of nine, Van Aert and Van der Pol showed enough strength to be considered strong contenders for Sunday's Tour de Flanders. their rivalry dominated the pre-race excitement and could determine the race itself. The rivalry between the two dominates the pre-race excitement and could determine the race itself.

"This debate (not originally one) will continue for some time, until just before the Tour de Flanders.

"I still don't put Van der Pol on the same level as Van Earle, but just below him.