Most of the finishers of the Tour of Flanders were in an inexpressible place as they drifted through the mixed zone of Oudenaarde. In many cases, the haunted looks and gnashing of teeth told their own stories. If this isn't hell, it will have to suffice until next weekend's hellish horror in Paris-Roubaix.

Magnus Sheffield endured the rigors of a tumultuous day better than anyone else, finishing in sixth place. In a relentless attack and pouring rain, Mathieu Van der Pol (Alpecin-Desseuninck) was in a solo position, but Sheffield was a minute behind the unassailable world champion, and won the sprint battle for the podium, finishing first.

Late in the race, after Wisma-Ries A-Bike and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) tried to test Van der Pol from distance, the group of contenders for the win split and reformed. Sheffield and his Ineos Grenadiers teammates chased the race at various points, but after Van der Pol cleared alone in the Koppenberg, they increasingly came to the fore.

In the midst of the chaos, Sheffield boldly moved into a strong chase group on the final climb of the Aude Quaremont and Paterberg, the best result of his young career. if his victory at Brabanthe Pile two years ago had shown the American's potential as a one-day rider If his victory at Brabanthe Pyle two years ago was a testament to the American's potential as a one-day rider, this win was a testament to his ability to withstand the distances of the Monument.

"I felt like I was just riding through the pack," said Sheffield after stopping in the mixed zone. But in Koppenberg, everyone was getting off and running and walking on the cobblestones. There were a couple of crashes, but I was able to chase Ben [Turner] as well as Josh [Tarling] and at least I was able to fight for the podium. I didn't have the legs to sprint, but I have to really thank my team for never giving up and putting me in the best possible position."

Koppenberg was the most unforgettable image of the race, not only for Van der Pol's winning attack, but also for the chaos in the hills behind him. Heavy rain that had been falling all afternoon made the cobblestones of this infamous climb even more treacherous. After reaching the summit on foot, each racer had to reconstruct his race as best he could.

"There's a cyclo-cross race in Koppenberg," said one rider. 'Honestly, you can't run on the cobblestones in road shoes.' As soon as I saw the riders remounting, I tried to do the same. At that point, I think Mathieu had already attacked.

It is easy to forget that Sheffield is only 21 years old, but he has gained considerable ground in his season at the World Tour level, and although his 2023 campaign was interrupted by a major crash at the Tour de Suisse, he has had good results at the Tour of Britain and the CRO races and achieved good results. Although he has had a modest campaign so far in the cobbled classics, Sheffield was reminded of his prowess on this terrain in the Ronde.

"Flanders is a historic race. No American has ever won it, but I told myself a top ten finish was possible. This is only my third time in Flanders, but every year I'm getting better and more experienced. This is a good result for my career. I can learn from this and hopefully one day I can compete for the championship."

On Sunday, of course, the race winner was operating on a different level than everyone else. In recent seasons, the biggest one-day races have belonged to a limited number of players and teams. Since Sheffield turned pro, nine of the 12 monuments have been won by Van der Pol, Tadei Pogachar, and Remco Evenpol.

"I grew up racing cyclocross, so Van der Pol was a big idol. 'There are riders like Van der Pol, Van Aert, Jonas [Vingegaard], Pogacar, who are aliens. I think Van der Pol is a great rider, but at the end of the day, he has two legs and is no different from any other rider."

Unlimited access to all coverage of the Spring Classics, including reports, breaking news, and analysis of Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders, and more. More info.