The Belgian sprinter was perfectly positioned in the final kilometer and was eager to sprint for the win, but he was stuck on the outside of a tricky corner. He was pushed onto the sidewalk, which was exactly where the barriers began. He couldn't get back on the road, so he rode on the left side of the barriers to avoid a crash. It ruined his chances, but a handful of other riders, including teammate
Lukas Kubis, followed him. It was a big disappointment for the French-Dutch team, which had hoped to score points in the Belgian one-day race.
Unfortunately, this action caused even more chaos. When you're in the peloton, you follow the riders in front of you. A rider from Flanders-Baloise was also on the pavement but tried to get back on the road. He failed and crashed into the barrier. He went down
hard, taking a teammate with him. Behind him, other riders also crashed into the barriers. It was a nasty scene, and whether any riders were injured is unclear.
Milan Fretin was not affected. The Belgian rider from Cofidis was on the inside of the bend and thus missed the chaos. He was the first to start the sprint and secured his third victory of the season despite a flat tire 20 kilometers from the finish. With this victory, Cofidis has already achieved more victories than the previous year.