Without an outspoken leader, Team Visma | Lease a Bike was at the start of the seventh edition of Classic Brugge-De Panne. On a relatively easy course, the yellow-and-black formation was constantly at the front of the peloton and reacted alertly to various attack attempts.

The sprinters' teams kept everything contained and ensured that a bunch sprint would determine the winner. Elisa Balsamo proved to be the fastest. Nooijen and Veenhoven sprinted to a place in the top twenty. "It was a good race, in the line we expected," says sports director Jan Boven.

"Of course we had hoped to finish a little shorter, but we only get stronger from such races. When turning onto De Moeren, we were a little too far ahead, but the ladies fought their way back with a super lead-out in the last kilometer. Four of them moved up to the front and eventually Lieke and Nienke got through the last corner very nicely."

That the youngsters fell just short in the sprint is not surprising, according to Boven. "Maybe we just lack the power and guts to ride a good sprint. We hope to do that better in the future. If you see how much progression Nienke has made compared to last year, that's super nice. The other girls also rode a great race."