De riders of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert were put to the test on 36 kilometer of unpaved roads and 28 kilometer of cobbles in the Antwerp Port Epic (1.1, 12/09). The men under the direction of Hilaire Van der Schueren and Steven De Neef chased four early escapees and then positioned one man in the front of the race. Taco van der Hoorn was one of the seven leaders on the first gravel roads.
The winner of the Schaal Sels in 2017, on an almost identical parcours, and his breakaway companions were joined by several other strong riders. Also Danny Van Poppel managed to bridge to the first group composed of thirteen riders with 40 kilometer to go.
Mathieu van der Poel chose the Torenseweg, 25 kilometer before the finish, to attack and only Taco van der Hoorn was able to join the Dutch rider. The new leading duo extended its lead and sprinted for the victory in the Port of Antwerp. Van der Hoorn, double winner this season thanks to long breakaways, was rewarded by a second place after four hours of racing. Danny Van Poppel sprinted to 4th place.
« Danny and I reacted well to Mathieu van der Poel's attack and I was happy to be able to join him. But once we were just the two of us, we had to start thinking about the tactics for the final. I still felt very good, but it was clear that Mathieu was also strong so I wasn't confident that I was able to beat him. Also opting for a sprint with Danny was not a guarantee on success, because of the presence of Merlier. So I worked with van der Poel and tried to surprise him on the bridge with 2 kilometer to go, but he was attentive. I'm a happy second, because I was defeated by a faster rider. »
