ProTeam Jarne Van de Paar sprints to a 2nd place in the Elfstedenronde

The riders faced 200 kilometers mostly on flat roads. A breakaway of six stayed ahead for a while, and despite fierce racing behind, it proved difficult to make a difference on the flat roads. Five remaining escapees entered the final lap of 28.9 kilometers. It wasn't until 3.5 kilometers from the finish that the last man at the front was caught by the chasing peloton.

In recent years, the Elfstedenronde has always ended in a royal sprint, but this time a crash 2 kilometers from the finish disfigured the finale, resulting in only a small group being able to contest the sprint. Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) launched his sprint from afar. Jarne Van de Paar tried to follow him but had to acknowledge the superiority of the Norwegian. "Kristoff started from 180 meters out, he executed a perfect sprint, and I couldn't pass him," Van de Paar said. "Still, I'm very happy with this second place. The final stretch was quite hectic, with another roundabout where perfect positioning was crucial. The team did a fantastic job. Cedric Beullens positioned me perfectly, and I tried to give it my all. This gives me confidence after a few weeks without racing. Tomorrow I'm heading to the Tour of Hungary. There are also some great opportunities waiting there, so I'm looking forward to it."

Picture: PhotoNews