Tosh van der Sande was agonizingly close to his first professional victory when he finished second in yesterday's GP Impanis. Having been up against an in-form Greg Van Avermaet, the Belgian admits that the result was the maximu achievable.

Tosh van der Sande starred in the hard Belgian one-day race GP Impanis when he was part of the strong breakaway that made it to the finish. In the sprint, he was beaten by Greg Van Avermaet who is one of the outsiders for the World Championships.

"It was my job to join the break," he said. "It was fast all day. At one point, we ended up five riders in the front and we rode perfectly. I finished second behind Van Avermaet who is in great shape and is ready for the World Championships. This was the best place possible.

"I still thought I could beat him, but I had some leg cramps. I also raced yesterday and I felt it in the sprint. I am certainly disappointed to finish second, but that's how every rider would feel. In hindsight, second is a good result. I won't ride in Lichtervelde. I will prepare for the Tour of Beijing."