The eleventh edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen was a tough one. The riders faced seven cobbled sections and eight climbs. The race exploded on the Kanarieberg, some 65 kilometres from the finish. Vos, Noemi Rüegg and Eva van Agt were in the lead group when the peloton split.

The race was then full of attacks. Van Agt tried to get away a few times, and Vos was also in the lead for a long time with a small group. "The hill zone is a bit early in this race, so the race opens up quickly, and it becomes a war of attrition”, said the 35-year-old leader of the Dutch cycling formation. "You have to make decisions. I didn't want to save all my energy for the last part.”

Soon after Van Agt was caught by the twenty-rider lead group, Vollering jumped away. "She did it at a very strong moment”, said Vos. "Unfortunately, I just couldn't make it. In the end, I am happy that I was able to get the last podium place for the team. I am very happy with the way the race went.”

It was the second race of the road season for Vos, who raced in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda two weeks ago. "We always have to wait and see how the first races of the season go. I had a good race in Italy, and this week I had some good training sessions. Now we are back in Belgium.”

The Tour of Flanders is on the agenda this Sunday. The rider already won the cycling monument in 2013. "I certainly have the ambition to win this edition as well. It is important to recover well from today, and then we will be eager to go to the start on Sunday. Hopefully, the team can play an important role in the final.”