Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in two words? Wind and crashes, perhaps. And that also played against Lotto–Intermarché. Luca Van Boven crashed early in the race, fortunately without serious consequences, and the biting wind made for a particularly hectic race.
Arnaud De Lie rode an almost flawless race, but was unfortunately held up by a crash at the wrong moment: “There were a huge number of crashes, probably also because of the strong wind. It only increases the nervousness: everyone constantly wants to be at the front, which simply raises the risk of crashes even more. I think this must have been the most dangerous Omloop Het Nieuwsblad of my life. I was riding a good race, it felt like a perfect day. Five kilometres before the Muur van Geraardsbergen I was nicely in the wheel of my teammate Jenno Berckmoes, but then someone crashed on my left side. I was held up and my rear wheel was hit, which meant I had to change bikes. That cost time, as the team car was also stuck behind the crash. It’s a pity, because I actually felt good today. I was at the front where I needed to be, and my legs felt good. Unfortunately, it didn’t bring a result, but I will take it into tomorrow. I definitely gained confidence.”
Heading towards the Molenberg, the team was nevertheless well positioned. “At that point Arnaud (De Lie) hesitated to follow Tim Van Dijke,” explains performance manager Aike Visbeek. “In the end he didn’t, but after that we immediately started riding. Unfortunately, a major crash held us up and we go home empty-handed.”
Jenno Berckmoes was ultimately the team’s first finisher, crossing the line in sixteenth place.
In the women’s race, Lea Lin Teutenberg was part of the breakaway.
