Dylan Van Baarle stopped just as he crossed the finish line in Harelbeke and coughed with the bar on his back; despite his success in the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, he was far from a winner.

Then again, it was the same for anyone not wearing the yellow and black jersey. Jumbo Visma dominated the race to the point that the rest of the field looked like they were competing in a completely different race.

Wout Van Aert finished alongside teammate Christophe Laporte, while Van Baar and teammate Honatan Narvaez had to be content with a top 10 finish from a small group that was over 90 seconds behind them.

"They were too strong," Van Baar told Cycling News.

Ineos Grenadiers actually struggled twice in the race, which is considered a dress rehearsal for the Tour de Flanders.

They missed seven selections and had to launch a frantic chase when Van Aert made his first attack on the Teyenberg with 80 km to go.

As the pack regrouped behind the lead group, they found reinforcements, and a virtually long lead-out on the Aikenberg with 62 km to go allowed Narvaez and Van Barre to jump over the gap.

"We lost each other a little bit in Hotondo going into Kortekele," Van Baarle said, explaining their poor positioning at the crucial moment in Teyenberg.

"Then you need to stay calm - don't try to close too quickly. I waited a bit for the other riders to come back and then they caught up. Johnny and I tried to jump and luckily we made it.

With the two riders in a new lead group of 16, Ineos was able to defend the race, but the race soon came to an end when Van Aert accelerated again in Paterberg with 40 km to go. However, Van Aert accelerated again at Paterberg with 40 kilometers to go. Van Aert and Laporte disappeared never to be seen again.

"I didn't see them either. I was just hanging in the frame," he said of Van Aert's decisive Paterberg attack.

Similarly, despite the numerical advantage and the cooperation of the chasing group, nothing could be done in the last four climbs and the charge into Hallerbeek.

"We couldn't go slow with our group," Vanbert said. They were too strong." They had really reached a high level this spring.

Asked if Jumbo Visma was strong enough to enter the realm of invincibility, van Baar replied: "Whoa ...... At the moment they are not opponents that can be beaten. [But yes they are: ...... We just focus on ourselves and prepare as much as possible. I was a little bit sick after Paris-Nice, but last weekend I was much better and training was going well."

Ineos Grenadiers can find hope in the prospect that Tom Pidcock's expected return next week at Dwars door Hlaanderen will not put the crucial point of the next race on the back foot.