"A race in which we must be able to participate in the finale." Those were the goals of sports director Michael Boogerd for Roompot Orange Peloton in the Brabantse Pijl before the start in Leuven. The race kicks off a busy and important time with the Ardennes classics. With an eighth place for Maurits Lammertink in this highly occupied UCI HC race, the team achieved the goals.

Before Lammertink sprint to that beautiful place of honor on the Schavij climb in Overijse as part of an elite group right behind winner Ben Hermans, other riders from the team had already shown themselves. Reinier Honig had attacked on the first lap of the finishing circuit behind the early break with De Gendt and Delaplace. "It was getting a little boring, so I thought I'd try something," Honig said. "Unfortunately I had no one with me, and I had not the power to bridge the gap alone."

In the final lap, Huub Duijn made another attempt to join leader Ben Hermans (BMC), but the new father was unable to catch the Belgian. "It feels good that I can be there on a difficult course like this," Duijn said. "It indicates that the shape is good with a view to the Amstel Gold Race."

In that respect, Maurits Lammertink and Michel Kreder (15th) can also look back with satisfaction. "The intention was to wait as long as possible, in order to participate with the big guys on the final climb," said Lammertink. "It was nice that I managed to be there even though I would have preferred to finish better.

With Duijn (27th), Mike Terpstra (49th) and Marc de Maar (53th at his comeback after illness) also in the first peloton, team leader Boogerd was pleased with a good team performance. "That we are up there in a selective race like Brabantse Pijl very positive," said the two-time winner of the race in Flemish Brabant. "So we have a good feeling for Amstel. And that's also a race in which we want to show ourselves."