Jens Debusschere and Jonas Vangenechten made it a fantastic end of the season for Lotto Belisol when they both finished on the podium in the Nationale Sluitingsprijs. In fact, Debusschere won the race almost by accident as he was set to lead his teammate out in the sprint.

Lotto Belisol could finish the season with a victory. Belgian champion Jens Debusschere won the last race on the Belgian calendar, in Putte-Kapellen. Teammate Jonas Van Genechten joined him on the podium as third. Tom Van Asbroeck was second.
 
The race consisted of eight laps of almost 22.5 kilometres. Pim Ligthart was part of a front group of originally eleven riders. The Dutchman of Lotto Belisol stayed in front the longest together with Sinkeldam, Terpstra and Vanbilsen. With one lap to go all escapees were caught.

In the final kilometres Kenny Dehaes took off with two others, Zdenek Stybar and Tom Veelers. The peloton closed the gap and there was a bunch sprint. The difference between Debusschere and Van Asbroeck was really tiny, the jury had to take a look at the photo finish. Victory for Debusschere was the verdict.
 
“I wanted to pull the sprint for Jonas Van Genechten today," he said. "With 450 metres to go I got to the head of the peloton. Jonas lost my wheel and I continued. It was close, but I just stayed in front of Tom Van Asbroeck. The difference was so small it was impossible to know if I had won, I had to wait for the jury to take a look at the photo finish.

"I am very happy. It's always nice to win. I was very close in the last two weeks. There will be a party tonight. I lead Jonas Van Genechten out for the sprint so I went from very far out in the last 400 meters, with him on my wheel. I did not see him pass me, so I decided to give everything to the finish and see what would happen. Tom Van Asbroeck came back and it was decided by a few millimeters. I have been strong late in the season for three years now. I do not necessarily know why. I do nothing special.
 

"I’m really happy I won. The last five race days (Eurométropole Tour stages 2,3 and 4, Binche-Chimay-Binche and Paris-Tours) I stood on the podium as second or third. Now I can start the off-season with a good feeling.

 
“I can be quite positive about this season. I had expected more from the classics. I wanted to set a result myself in Dwars door Vlaanderen and I was sixth. That’s not bad. Then there was my victory at the Belgian Championship, of course the highlight of my season. A victory in Paris-Tours would have made my season complete.

"I finished last season with four victories, which I all gathered in the last weeks. I set another step forward this year. I hope to continue my evolution next season. In a few weeks I will go on a holiday and I will also move to another house this winter.”

"The plan was to ride for me in the sprint," Vangenechten said. "When Stybar attacked on the cobbles, Kenny Dehaes followed him. So we had little control, and were a bitblocked. In the last kilometre, we played both cards, with Kenny and me in the sprint. When the peloton got back, Jens and I were a bit boxed in. Jens was still riding but a big swerve got me stuck towards the barriers. Jens and Tom Van Asbroeck got a gap of five to ten meters. I made ​​the effort to come back. 

"I was afraid that Jens would stop spriting, thinking I was on his wheel, and then we would lose everything. Finally, we won. Third place is not a bad result. But I think if I was perfectly on Jens' wheel, there would be no photo finish today. This event ends a season where I was able to confirm my potential."