Max Schachmann finished the day as the best-placed Soudal Quick-Step rider.
For the first time in 34 years, Brabantse Pijl came down to a mass gallop, a surprising conclusion for a race where usually the winner comes after a late attack or from a small group. This year, despite numerous attacks, including one of Louis Vervaeke on the local circuit with around 70 kilometers to go, a large peloton arrived at the bottom of the S-Bocht Overijse, the climb that so many times has been decisive in the final outcome.
With seven kilometers to go, seven riders were at the front and had a lead of around 20 seconds, but the chasers worked really well together and by the time they started the last hill of the day, they managed to overhaul the attackers. Under the flamme rouge, another rider tried to go clear, only for the others to react and keep the group as one. In the sprint, Anders Foldager (Jayco-AlUla) emerged as the fastest and took the victory.
Maximilian Schachmann, a debutant at Brabantse Pijl, was our first rider home, just three places outside the top ten. For the German, who is aiming for a solid outing in the Ardennes, it’s an encouraging result ahead of Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race, an event where he finished third five years ago.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
