A sprint was expected in the GP Monseré (1.1, 6/03) this Sunday, a West-Flemish classic between Hooglede and Roeselare with cobble sections in the Lookhuisstraat (1.4km at 1.7%) and Gitsberg (500m). Despite an animated final in which the peloton was split in different groups, it was in a sprint that Belgian rider Gerben Thijssen managed to achieve his first top five of the season.
Before, his teammates perfectly controlled the race behind a breakaway of five riders. When the escapees were caught with 30 kilometer to go, a change of rhythm isolated 30 riders in the front. An attentive Gerben Thijssen could rely on Hungarian rider Barnabás Peák to bring him to the front in the final kilometers. In the end, the 23 year old took fourth place in his first sprint of the season.
I conclude this day with a positive feeling, because I was in the mix in a difficult final and my performance in the sprint also brings me satisfaction. All day I could rely on the support of the whole team, but I unfortunately couldn’t reward their work because of an incident in the sprint. It happened with 800 meter to go, when I was in Hugo Hofstetter’s slipstream thanks to the help of Barnabás Peák. I lost many positions because of a mechanical and started my sprint in 20th position. Even though the podium was already out of reach, I’m proud of my effort in the final hectometers. Knowing that I was able to do better than fourth place gives me a lot of confidence for my next race, the Ronde van Drenthe.
