Roompot Orange Peloton again left a solid impression in the fifth WorldTour classic of the year. With an attacking approach, the riders showed that they were ready to fight and again had a rider in the breakaway. Reinier Honig was part of the lead group for more than 140 kilometres.
"It was not easy to get there," Honig said afterwards. "I really had to dig deep to joing the instigators of the break and did very well to do so. Then it turned out well, but I had a hard time. Especially since Thomas De Gendt really rode hard. Ultimately, I had to let them go together with Mike Teunissen."
Alejandro Valverde took his third win in the race in which Erik Breukink had three riders in the spotlight. First Mike Terpstra was involved in a crash with former Tour de France winner Chris Froome. "Damn, what a shame, I had good legs," he tweeted about the unfortunate end of his chances 12km from the finish in Huy.
In the final kilometres, Huub Duijn and Michel Kreder launched attacks. The new climb Cote de Cherave before the final ascent of the Mur, saw the two riders come to the fore. With a 36th place, Kreder was the best-placed rider for the team while Duijn was 51st. On Sunday, the team, with largely the same selection, will end their classics campaign at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
14.05 - 19.05: 4 Jours de Dunkerque |
15.05 - 19.05: Tour of Hellas |
15.05 - 19.05: Orlen Nations GP |
16.05 - 19.05: Vuelta a Burgos Feminas |
16.05 - 19.05: Tour of Sakarya |
16.05 - 19.05: Vuelta a Santiago del Estero |
17.05 - 19.05: SPIE Juniorendriedaagse |
18.05 - 19.05: Trophée Centre Morbihan |
19.05: Antwerp Port Epic Ladies |
19.05: GP Gorenjska |
Chris KENDAL 45 years | today |
Rinat ALIYEV 23 years | today |
Michelle LAUGE JENSEN 33 years | today |
Lee FARMER 52 years | today |
Eusebio PASCUAL BONHOME 29 years | today |
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