Tom Van Asbroeck wasn’t able to take part in the bunch sprint in the first stage of the Tour de l’Eurométropole. The Belgian wasn’t in good position in the final kilometre of the stage and couldn’t move up. Jens Bebusschere (Lotto – Soudal) won the stage. Martijn Keizer remains second in the general classification.

“We totally blew up the bunch sprint,” sports director, Erik Dekker said after the race. “Tom Van Asbroeck crashed in the beginning of the stage, but that didn’t bother him afterwards. We tried to force some echelons at some moment in the race, but that didn’t turn out the way we wanted. We weren’t there when we had to be. Tom wasn’t placed well in the bunch sprint, which lost him that opportunity.”

“I was too far behind in the final turn,” Van Asbroeck added. “The finish went slightly downhill and Lotto-Soudal pushed hard, so it was impossible for me to move up. I was in the middle, totally sheltered. You save the most energy in that place, but it’s a risk that they pass you from the left and the right side. That happened and I moved too late.”

Friday gives Van Asbroeck another chance, when the second stage of the Tour de l’Eurométropole will likely finish in another bunch kick.

“We’re moving towards the Belgian coast and it can be windy out there sometimes,” Dekker said. “But it will end up in a bunch sprint normally. We have to take a look at the things that went wrong today so we will be able to take our revenge.”