Brabantse Pijl: Vermote Top 10, Four OPQS in Top 20

Brabantse Pijl: Vermote Top 10, Four OPQS in Top 20

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Julien Vermote finished 8th in the sprint finale of 203.1km Brabantse Pijl on Wednesday. He and OPQS riders Pieter Serry, Wout Poels, and Julien Alaphilippe were all members of at least one chase or lead group in the final kilometers of the race.

Serry was the only rider of OPQS who remained in a chase group that eventually becams the race leaders, which were caught with 10.8km to go after rider Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team) bridged.

Despite attack after attack, including a couple accelerations from Poels inside the final few kilometers, and an attack of Vermote inside the last kilometer, there was a sprint out of a completely splintered peloton. Gilbert won the race with a bike throw. Michael Matthews (ORICA-GreenEDGE) was 2nd, and Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol) was 3rd.

OPQS riders Alaphilippe, Poels, and Serry finished 14th, 15th, and 16th.