Van der Sande was unable to avoid the crash. “Someone in front of me crashed straight into a pole. I couldn’t avoid that and my bike flew away from under me. I landed right on my elbow. At first, I hoped to be able to continue, so I asked for a new bike. But I couldn’t support myself anymore, so continuing to ride was no longer an option. I went to the hospital and there it turned out that I had broken my elbow. An operation will follow now.”

For Van der Sande and his team, this is a big blow. “I made a lot of sacrifices and now they seem to have been for nothing. The pain will go away, but mentally this is heavy. I worked hard and certainly, riding in this team is a dream. It’s a shame it won’t be for this classic campaign anymore. But my season is not done yet and I will focus on the next goals.”