Trek Factory Racing started the Primus Classic Impanis-Van Petegem Saturday with only six riders, which may have cost the team a chance at victory. Danny Van Poppel easily proved to be the fastest at the end of the 199.2-kilometer race, but with no teammates was unable to contain three late attackers who just held off the bunch to take the three podium steps.

Van Poppel arrived on their heels in fourth place, little consolation for a rider who was one of the strongest and definitely the quickest, but was isolated and overcome by tactics in the finale.

“He was so strong!” said director Luc Meersman, referring to Danny Van Poppel. “He was so strong, but then at the end some guys attack and you miss some teammates…He was 20 meters in front of the peloton in the sprint, it was unbelievable.”

Sean de Bie (Lotto-Soudal) initiated the winning attack with just under three kilometers to go and soloed to victory, while two chasers, Dimitri Claeys (Verandas Willems) and Floris Gerts (BMC), were caught on the line by a sprinting Van Poppel who almost snatched the third place with a bike throw.

“We only started with six today as Fumy [Beppu] and [Fabio] Silvestre were both sick,” Meersman continued. “So knowing we did not have the strength, we had to be smart. When four guys went away it was okay, if it was a larger group our plan was to be there, and we didn’t help pull because Danny said he was not feeling good so we decided to wait to see what would happen.

“The longer the race went on, the better he began to feel. But then at the feed zone two guys stopped and then we were only four. Boy [Van Poppel] did not feel great today, but with Eugenio [Alafaci] and Laurent [Didier] they supported Danny as long as they could. They did a great job.

“There was a split in the last 40-kilometers or so and the 30 strongest riders went away, and Danny was there but alone, and there was a lot of attacking. When you are alone as a sprinter what can you do?  You can take some chances, but you also have to hope that other teams will help close the gaps. And they did until the last kilometers when De Bie from Lotto went and they all looked a little bit at each other…then Danny had to wait and hope that they close the gap and that did not happen.

“At 300-350 meters Danny began sprinting already, maybe even more, and he went so fast, but he could not catch them and took fourth. It’s hard knowing you were the strongest of the bunch, but you also see what happens when you are alone, you can do nothing but hope the others close the gap.  So you have to take your result and be happy because there was nothing else you could do.”