Gerben Thijssen wins Westrozebeke Race

De Gistelnaar was very active in the opening phase of the competition, which had started with barely 72 participants. Dupont was part of an early breakaway of 13 along with Tarteletto-Isorex teammates Marchand, Vandenbulcke and Demeyere, also featuring Ruben Apers, Timo De Jong, Bertkan Lindeman, Kenny Molly, Mathias Vanoverberghe, Jordi Warlop, Niels Vandeputte and Emiel Vermeulen. They were given about half a minute, but the party was cancelled.

In a very animated and fast driven race, groups constantly tried to drive away. Three laps before the end there seemed to be music in a foursome, consisting of Baptiste Planckaert, Timo De Jong, Kenny Molly and Jordi Warlop. Their maximum lead did not exceed 23 seconds, mainly due to the executioner’s work of Julien Vermote, who went looking for the leaders together with Iben Rommelaere.

In the last lap everything came together again, and Gerben Thijssen could easily sprint to victory, ahead of the Estonian Vahtra of Van Ryssel-Roubaix, Timothy Dupont and Milan Fretin.

“I came out of an internship with good legs,” said Shari Bossuyt’s friend. “Because Baptiste Planckaert was in the front, I didn’t have to give too many kicks. This gives confidence for the upcoming assignments, the Tour of Poland, and the Vuelta.” There, the Limburg Stasegemnaar wants to flush the lackluster Tour of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert with a stage victory.