Development Liam Van Bylen sprints to second place in the Zuidkempense Pijl

The race unfolded as expected, with a few breakaways, but each time followed by a regrouping. The Lotto squad dominated the race. They positioned themselves as a block at the front of the peloton to maintain a high pace and separate the wheat from the chaff.

It eventually came down to the anticipated sprint, which was incredibly exciting. Thomas Vuerinckx provided an excellent lead-out, putting Van Bylen in the ideal position for the final sprint. Van Bylen came up alongside but ultimately had to accept second place, with only a tire-width difference. "I started too late and as a result, the victory slipped through my fingers. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t reward the team for their hard work," said Van Bylen.

Mauro Cuylits agreed that the team showed excellent teamwork: "It’s a shame because I think we did everything perfectly as a team. I gave everything until 500m to go, so that Thomas could do the perfect lead-out, but suddenly the finish line was already there. We were just a fraction too late."

Photo: Brecht Steenhouwer