At the end of a sélective race with 38 climbs, Belgian rider Loïc Vliegen obtained his second podium of the season in the Volta Limburg Classic (1.1, 2/04). The resident from Riemst finished twice ninth on his training roads before and had to battle against a freezing cold and snow storm this time.
By taking the responsibility in the peloton, the Belgian World Team maintained the early breakaway within reach and in the approach to the fourth and last passage on the Gulpenberg, Kévin Van Melsen counterattacked behind a new breakaway of two riders, forcing the other teams to work behind with 47 kilometer to go.
In the final 20 kilometer, Vliegen isolated himself with five other riders in the front. He did not calculate his efforts and tried to get rid of his fast breakaway companions. In the end, the six men battled for the victory on the cobbles in the centre of Eijsden and Vliegen achieved third place. Baptiste Planckaert finished one minute later in the remaining peloton, in fifteenth position.
« I'm happy to conclude my spring with a podium finish, especially because this race was on my training roads. We knew that it would be a hard race on this difficult parcours but the freezing weather conditions made it even more challenging. Baptiste Planckaert and I could rely on an impressive Kévin Van Melsen to keep us in the front of the bunch until the final. I then joined a breakaway of six riders. Arnaud De Lie was among us, I considered him as the fastest rider of the bunch and my main competitor for the victory in this flat last part of the race. I was confident to finish on the podium in case of a sprint and that's what happened. After 30 days of competition, it is now time to take some rest and come back fresh and in good condition in May. »
