Van der Lijke in top 20 at GP Plouay
Nick van der Lijke finished in the top 20 in the GP Ouest France-Plouay, and the Dutchman of Team LottoNL-Jumbo crossed the line in 18th. Alexander Kristoff of Katusha won in a bunch sprint.
Nick van der Lijke finished in the top 20 in the GP Ouest France-Plouay, and the Dutchman of Team LottoNL-Jumbo crossed the line in 18th. Alexander Kristoff of Katusha won in a bunch sprint.
The riders completed two different loops around Plouay. In total, they had to overcome 229 kilometres and tackle three climbs several times: the Cote du Lezot, Cote de Ty Marrec, and the Chapelle Sainte-Anne des Bois.
Sep Vanmarcke pressured the sprinters in the final kilometres by joining several attacks, but none of the moves proved effective against the sprinter teams.
Crash Hofland
Moreno Hofland wasn’t a factor when the Dutchman was forced to abandon after 150 kilometres of racing due to a spill. “Someone tumbled off Nick’s rear wheel and pulled him to the ground, causing several riders to crash,” Sports Director Frans Maassen said. “Nick was pretty scuffed but could continue. That wasn’t the case with Moreno. He needed stitches for his wounded fingers.”
Hofland's departure was a big setback for Team LottoNL-Jumbo, which now didn’t have a real sprinter for a possible kick. “I must say that Moreno has been suffering with a back injury all week after his crash in Hamburg.”
