Early in the race, six riders got away and got a five-minute lead. Once on the 15.4 kilometre local circuit, which contained a steep climb, the nervousness slowly but surely took over. Many riders tried to slip away from the peloton, including the brothers Mick and Tim van Dijke, but their attempts proved to be in vain. A fierce battle for the front position unfolded in the final kilometres, and Kooij got involved in a crash. As a result, the 20-year-old rider was unable to win. The victory went to the Belgian Arnaud De Lie.

"It is very disappointing when our greatest asset cannot compete for the victory due to bad luck", sports director Maarten Wynants said. "We tried to make it a tough race. The Van Dijke brothers tried to get away. Because that didn't work out, we focused on the sprint. Olav then got involved in a heavy crash and could no longer sprint. He is doing well under the circumstances. He has some abrasions. The race had a somewhat disappointing outcome so let's focus on the upcoming races."