Jens Debusschere and Tiesj Benoot were really strong in Dwars door Vlaanderen today. Unfortunately four escapees could stay ahead of them. Jelle Wallays won the race. Tiesj Benoot finished as sixth, Belgian champion Jens Debusschere as eighth.

There were lots of attacks in the beginning of the race. Sean De Bie was part of a front group for a while. Just before the Nieuwe Kwaremont, the first hill of the day, there was a new front group with Gert Dockx. They never got more than three minutes lead. On the Eikenberg Jelle Wallays attacked. Gert Dockx followed a while at a few metres, but couldn’t close the gap. Just after the Taaienberg Wallays was joined in front by his teammate Edward Theuns, Michal Kwiatkowski and Dylan van Baarle. A chase group with Tiesj Benoot and Jens Debusschere came close, reduced the advantage to half a minute, but never joined the leaders although Benoot did a great job.

“There was a crash just before the Taaienberg, that I could avoid but that’s why I was too far behind to jump away with Kwiatkowski and the others," Benoot said. "I chased them, but there was no real cooperation in the small group I was in. A pity, because we could definitely have closed the gap.

"When the group with Jens joined us, I believed we could bridge to the front, but then there was a crash in the descent of the Oude Kwaremont. Boom and Devolder were therefore not part of our group anymore and we could have definitely used their help. We reduced the gap to thirty seconds, but there was no smooth cooperation.

"It’s a pity for our team, especially for Jens. I can be satisfied with my condition. I hope I stay healthy an do not crash, because beautiful races are coming up.”

“The developments in the first phase of the race were positive for us," Debusschere said.  "After the peloton split on the Holleweg we were in the first part with six riders, while Gert Dockx was part of the front group. Unfortunately he couldn’t join Jelle Wallays who had attacked on the Eikenberg.

"I got in a chase group, but not everyone cooperated. After the Hellestraat I realized that it was impossible, although at a certain point we came to 28 seconds of the leaders. That was especially thanks to Tiesj who rode a fantastic race. In the chase we actually needed another rider like him.

"I also helped chasing, because if we didn’t close the gap I could not get a high result either. It’s a pity my group couldn’t sprint for the victory, I really did have a chance and had faith.”