Throughout the race, the black-and-yellow brigade and several other teams established themselves near the front of the pack. Together, they prevented a group of riders from escaping. In the final Pascal Eenkhoorn, Nathan Van Hooydonck and also Christophe Laporte rode to the front. The three attacked separately but were repeatedly caught back by a reduced peloton.

"I wanted to seal the team's splendid work with a victory", Van Aert said. "We had the race under control the whole day. Unfortunately, it's not a computer game in which I can just finish it off. In the final, there were attacks from all sides. One moment of doubt and a rider could get away."

Van Aert referred to Cosnefroy, the eventual winner. "I'm not completely surprised. He is a specialist in this area and these attacks are his specialty. In the final phase, the strongest riders remained. Unfortunately, Christophe just missed the connection with Benoit. In the background, I gambled a bit and it didn't work out. It's a shame it didn't go our way today", Van Aert said.

The Belgian enjoyed the race and was pleased with his condition. "I felt good today. My legs felt strong. Timing is crucial on a course like this. I probably started my sprint a little too soon. That's why some guys passed me in the last metres, so, unfortunately, I just missed the podium. However, today's form gives me confidence in the run-up to Sunday. That will be another challenging race", Van Aert said about the GP de Montréal.