Together with four other riders, Bouwman made the race. They were given a maximum lead of more than five minutes. Thirty kilometres before the finish, on the ascent of the Mur de Huy, the course heated up and Bouwman was reeled in. A group of about thirty riders, including Laurens De Plus, separated themselves from the rest and competed for the victory on the famous climb. De Plus finished in fifteenth place and demonstrated his good shape by doing so.

Bouwman noticed that his form is improving: “The collaboration was great, but it was a shame that we were with only five riders. On the local lap we quickly lost two riders, leaving just three. We rode fast, but we were caught on the second climb of the Mur de Huy. At that moment I was able to do some work for Laurens and then I quietly rode to the finish. We have just returned from an altitude camp, which means that you lack some race rhythm. I do notice improvement compared to last Sunday however. This gives confidence for both Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Giro.”