Development Liam Van Bylen triumphs in Omloop het Nieuwsblad U23

Omloop het Nieuwsblad was a race that was marked in red for our Development Team. Especially since the results from last year only motivated our riders to strive for the best results possible. The whole race, the team remained focused on controlling the pace, especially towards the finish line. “To avoid possible attacks from other riders, we decided with the team to increase the pace at 4 kilometers from the finish line”, said Liam Van Bylen after the race. 

The final lead-out from Milan De Ceuster was instrumental in keeping Liam Van Bylen in position. Trusting the plan and his legs, he launched his sprint early. “Milan De Ceuster helped me very well until the last 800 meters and at 400 meters I decided to start my sprint. Although I know that it is still a long way to go”, he laughs. “An uphill finish suits me better. But we knew that if the pace would be high enough in advance, it would take the others a big effort to get over that first.”

This victory is very meaningful for Liam Van Bylen, since his season so far was marked by quite some setbacks: “It has not been the season I had hoped for thus far. So winning this race makes me very happy and makes the motivation even bigger.”

Photo: Brecht Steenhouwer