Three top 10 results in stages, two riders in the overall top 20 and a third place in the teams classification. That was the result for Roompot Orange Peloton in the Ster ZLM Toer. "And yet we have an ambivalent feeling," said sports director Erik Breukink immediately. "The sprinters have done well. Unfortunately, the GC riders were somewhat behind. Though Brian van Goethem was again a positive surprise."

De Goethem was the fastest rider of the team in the prologue As he was in the first group in the windy second stage, he seemed to be heading for a place in the top 10 of the  GC. "In the queen stage with finish in La Gillepe where Moreno Hofland won, he just did not have enough left to be able to compete with the best there. Brian has had a saddle sore and it is costly at times like this."

Eventually, Van Goethem was 19th in the overall standings. Raymond Kreder again got good results with a 6th and 5th place. "With the 6th place for Dylan Groenewegen here in Boxtel, the sprinters again showed their potential. Greipel is at another level, but there is still scope for growth. And in the preparation for the sprint, there is something to improve. "

The price for the aggressiveness in the final stage was given to Jesper Asselman. He was first part of a leading group for more than 120km and tried a solo move in the finale. One setback was the abandonment of an injured Maurits Lammertink. "He had many problems with his knee and decided not to go any further in the Ardennes. It was also a precautionary measure for the Dutch championships."

These national championships in Emmen has been red-circled for months by the riders and the team management. "Next week we will have a good look at it and talk about the tactical plan," Dekker said. "The length of the race, its progress and possibly the weather conditions will naturally be important factors that come into play. But we will have to come up with a good plan to give favorites like Niki Terpstra, Langeveld and Hofland troubles in Drenthe.""