Runner-up in last year's race, Tom Dumoulin has done nothing to hide his ambitions of winning this year's Eneco Tour and today he showed his intentions in the opening stage of the race. Launching a great attack under the red kite, the Ducthman nearly won the stage and narrowly missed out on 10 important bonus seconds.

Tom Dumoulin put in a powerful bid for glory on the opening stage of the Eneco Tour with a solo attack under the red kite. His chances were slim with a headwind finish but he put up a strong fight and with a few hundred metres looked like he might pull it off.

In the final 100m he was swept up by the sprinters coming over the top from behind, eventually finishing seventh. It is a strong start to the race from Dumoulin who is bidding for a strong overall position after finishing the race in second place last season.

The stage got underway with a three rider breakaway pulling clear and quickly establishing a decent advantage over the peloton. After just 40km the leaders had 8’30″ but this wast to be their maximum advantage as behind the peloton got into gear and started to control the race.

Team Giant-Shimano put power into the chase and helped to reduce the gap and with 50km to race the gap was down to 4’30″ and dropping fast as the peloton started to feel the strains of crosswinds in the ever-changing direction of the race.

Reinardt Janse van Rensburg came unstuck when he was involved in a crash but he was able to get back on and recover without too much difficulty.

The winds took their toll on more and more riders as the race came back together in the final stages, both off the back but also as riders crashed in the nervous peloton.

No one team could take control of the peloton and as the large front group headed into the final kilometres a hectic sprint looked on the cards.

Tom Dumoulin made the most of a lapse in speed at the front of the race at just over one kilometre to race to jump away from the peloton and establish a small lead over the bunch who at first hesitated over the chase. This gave Dumoulin the gap he needed to believe it was possible but as the chase was reorganised the gap started to close and in the final hundred metres Dumoulin was passed by the sprinters from behind leaving him in seventh.

“The plan for this opening stage was to sprint for Luka and for Tom D to have a free role as his main goal is the GC,” said coach Rudi Kemna. “The stage went more or less OK – just a crash for Reinardt but he was OK and for the rest of the guys it was not too dangerous.

“There wasn’t much control in the peloton at the end and Tom took his chance at the end. I was watching the finish on the small screen in the car and from the aerial shot I didn’t realise it was him at first. I thought ‘this guy is going fast’ and then realised it was Tom. With a move like this you have to take it on feeling and it was a good move.

“With Roy and Luka also at the front of the peloton preparing for the sprint they were able to slow and help the gap grow but this also meant that Luka lost his positioning for the finish sprint. When Tom went everyone was behind him so there are no regrets.”

Tom Dumoulin added: “In the final 10km I looked around and saw chaos and tired faces so decided that if the chance came I would try my luck and attack in the final kilometres. The chance came but unfortunately it didn’t work.

“When I was out front I never thought that I had it and I knew that it was going to be close but I kept on hoping that I could hold on and make it. My preparation for the race has been a mixture of resting, criteriums and also some endurance but I am feeling good and looking forward to the rest of the race.”