Klaas Lodewyck stepped out of his usual domestique role and got the chance to sprint for BMC in today's Nokere Koerse. The Belgian took 7th in a race that also saw his teammate Daniel Oss animate the race in his first competition after a long injury lay-off.

Klaas Lodewyck sprinted to his best finish of the season for the BMC Racing Team Wednesday by placing seventh at Nokere Koerse. 

The 199.3-kilometer race started in Ronse and traveled 80.9 km to Nokere, where the peloton completed eight laps of a 14.8-km circuit that featured a short, steep climb.

After BMC Racing Team's Martin Kohler and Lodewyck were in an early breakaway, teammate Daniel Oss made the one that finally stuck. Together with 16 others, the breakaway group worked well until reaching the finishing circuits.

With every lap of the circuit taking its toll, the 17 riders in front dwindled to fewer than 10, with Oss eventually falling off the pace. Geert Steegmans (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) put in what looked to be a race-winning attack. But he was caught in the last kilometer.

Kenny Dehaes (Lotto-Belisol) took the win ahead of Tim van Asbroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and former French national road champion Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ.fr).

"The guys did a great job to put me in good position at the end, especially Martin, Silvan Dillier and Rick Zabel," Lodewyck said. "I was third position to start the sprint, but then we caught some guys from the breakaway, so I lost some positions and had to make those up in the last 150 meters on the cobbles. I think if that doesn't happen, I am sprinting for the podium or maybe for the victory. So that was a pity."

"We started with a plan that we wanted to go for the sprint because normally it ends in a sprint," sports director Jackson Stewart said. "But we still wanted to watch for any big moves. A big group went and, luckily, Oss was in it. But it was also his first race, so we knew he didn't have much against guys who were at full fitness.

"He tried to sit on as much as he could and conserve. But it was an organized group and they were working well together. At the end, the guys did a great job to help Klaas. We only had six guys here, but they all rode well."