Three early breakaway riders coloured the race's opening phase. The flat course of more than 200 kilometres did not lend itself particularly well to breakaways, however, and at 25 kilometres from the finish, the three were caught. A chaotic final followed and none of the sprint trains succeeded in keeping control.

Kooij was able to join the front group in the final kilometres. Thanks to some clever steering, the Dutchman prevented worse when a rider near him crashed. The youngster then began his sprint early and ultimately saw how several other fast riders outpaced him just before the finish.

"This is a performance I can live with", Kooij said of his fifth place. "Of course you always strive for more, but I think this is a good result. It was a nervous final, but the team delivered me well in the last few kilometres. In the end I was well-positioned. Maybe I started my sprint a little too early. Unfortunately, the other riders came alongside. I was able to compete with the world top again. Partly because of that, I look back on this race with a good feeling."