In the first part of the race, in which the Posbank had to be climbed five times, no major differences arose. On the local final circuit in Arnhem, Tijmen Graat made the first serious attack of the day. The 21-year-old rider, who will move to the WorldTour team of Team Visma | Lease a Bike next year, rode two laps ahead of the peloton solo.

After Graat was reeled in, several riders tried to attack. However, the local laps proved not tough enough to force a shifting, leaving a group of 30 to sprint for the national title. In the sprint of the reduced peloton, Tibor del Grosso proved the fastest. Jesse Kramer was the best rider of Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development in twelfth place.

"It was hectic all day," Menno Huising looks back on the race. "Our tactic was to attack in turns from seventy kilometres. Tijmen rode two laps ahead and then we tried to get away with the right group. Unfortunately, the lap proved just not tough enough to get away. There were always guys who could close the gap."

Huising feels he and his teammates have nothing to blame themselves for. "As a team, we did well. We did what we had to do and everyone contributed. Of course we are disappointed, because we would have really liked to win here, but we did everything we could."

Sports director De Haan agrees with Huising's words. "The boys rode well. It's a pity there wasn't more in it, but we can be very happy with the way of racing."