Development Mathias De Keersmaeker sprints to second place in the Ronde de l'Oise

The race largely unfolded according to Lotto-Groupe Wanty’s plan. “The race actually went according to plan,” reflected De Keersmaeker. “We wanted to have someone in the breakaway and we succeeded with Thibaut Bernard. Apart from that, the race was quite controlled and calm. As a team, we didn’t have to do any work and we stayed together near the front of the peloton.”

The breakaway was only caught during the final local lap. “We only brought back the breakaway in the final local lap of just over thirty kilometres. After that, things became quite chaotic.”

In the run-up to the sprint, a long straight section with a headwind added to the tension. “The final six kilometres took place on a long straight road with a strong headwind, which made positioning very difficult. It was not easy to regroup as a team either.”

De Keersmaeker had already identified the finish as a good opportunity beforehand. The slightly uphill final kilometre suited him well, although positioning remained a major challenge.

“It was a finish I had marked out beforehand because the final kilometre was slightly uphill. Positioning was also quite difficult here because you approached the climb at high speed. Still, I managed to find space at the right moment and launched my sprint.”

The Lotto-Groupe Wanty rider looked set for victory for a long time, but was passed by one rival in the final metres. “Unfortunately, I was overtaken by Mathis Avondts with about thirty metres to go, but overall I’m very pleased with the result,” concluded De Keersmaeker.

Photo: Cyclingmedia_agency