Team NetApp-Endura had big hopes for Bartosz Huzarski and Iker Camone at today's Brabantse Pijl but came away empty-handed. Huzarski didn't have the legs and Camano crashed in the finale, meaning that Cesare Benedetti was the best rider for the German team.

At the end of the 203 kilometers between Leuven and Overijs, Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team) won the 54th Brabantse Pijl (Brabant Arrow). On the last of a total of 26 hills, the ex-world champion came out on top in the large group sprint, ahead of Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEdge) and Tony Gallopin (Lotto Belisol). Cesare Benedetti crossed the line as the best NetApp – Endura rider, 16 seconds behind the winner and in 31st place.

"Our goal was to make our mark in the finale with Bartosz and Iker. Iker fell on the last lap and had no chance of catching up with the leading group. Bartosz simply didn't have the strength today to ride for results. However we still had Cesare with him at the front, and he rode a strong race. He was in with the last breakaway group and he put in a very good performance overall," said André Schulze, Sport Director of Team NetApp – Endura, after the race.

After the start, the course first headed in a southwesterly direction through the Brabant region, past the destination of Overijs, via Waterloo, as far as Nivelles in Wallonia. There the course made a sharp turn to the north and following a lap over the Alsemberg it returned to Overijs, which the riders reached for the second time after 110 kilometers. The finale was in the end played out on three concluding laps over 23.4 kilometers and five hills.

Shortly after the start, a trio left the field behind and within the first 15 kilometers three more riders managed to close up again on this breakaway group. Together these six leading riders built up a maximum lead of almost seven minutes. The tempo in the peloton behind them was controlled up to the final laps by the team favorites. At that point, there were numerous attacks, which split the field several times into many groups. As a result of this the breakaway riders managed to retain a slight time advantage until they neared the finish. The six were only caught when the subsequent winner launched his first attack ten kilometers before the end. Further attacks followed, but they were all unsuccessful. Almost 50 riders, including Bartosz Huzarski and Cesare Benedetti, thus reached the last climb.