Jempy Drucker proved that he is ready to join BMC for the 2015 season when he finished 5th in a very hard edition of the Arnhem-Veenendal Classic. However, the Luxembourger was not too pleased with the way he handled the finale.

Yves Lampaert (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) has won the Arnhem-Veenendaal Classic on Friday. He arrived solo after 197,9 kilometres. Jempy Drucker was the best rider for Wanty-Groupe Gobert at place five.

A breakaway of nine riders took off from the beginning of the race without any representation from Wanty-Groupe Gobert. The nine got a maximum lead of 3,35 minutes but then Belkin closed the gap for their sprinter Theo Bos. Tim de Troyer helped chase down the group. He worked at the front of the bunch for sixty kilometres before calling it quits in the feed zone.

At 20 kilometres from the line ten riders tried their chance. Kristjan Koren (Cannondale), Jos van Emden (Belkin), Dayer Quintana (Movistar), Jack Wilson (An Post-Chainreaction), Ivar Slik (Rabobank Development Team), Michael Vingerling (Team3M), Tim Gebauer (Team Stölting), Yves Lampaert and Tom Van Asbroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) as well as Jempy Drucker for Wanty-Groupe Gobert. They quickly gained a 35 second lead and the peloton seemed beaten.

The victory would go between the ten leaders. Lampaert attacked the group at six kilometres from the line. The other nine looked on while the Belgian took several metres quickly.

“When Lampaert attacked I was in first position in the group,” Drucker commented on the moment the race was won. “But if you go and close that gap, the others will just sit on your wheel. Topsport Vlaanderen played the game well. They had two guys up front and profited from that as best as they could.”

Drucker finished fifth but was a little disappointed about it.

“If you are in the decisive move, and you finish five out of ten, you can be disappointed. I played a little poker. I knew it wouldn’t be a sprint with Van Emden there for Belkin. I could have done better but okay, in the end I am pretty much okay with the result.”