It was a steady start to the day with only a few probing attacks in the bunch and things were all together as the race headed into the last 80 kilometres. Here, a dangerous trio went clear of the peloton and after sensing the danger, the team rode well to bring the margin down before Charlotte Kool launched across the gap and made contact. With numbers behind, Kool played the team game and eventually her move was caught at around 50 kilometres to go. A flurry of attacks then bombarded the front of the bunch, with Pfeiffer Georgi marking a promising five rider group that went clear.
With the peloton keeping the gap to around 15 seconds, Lorena Wiebes then followed a strong counter attacking move to join Georgi at the front, meaning there were two Team DSM riders in the front group of eight. However, other teams weren’t happy to pull and things once again regrouped before the elastic eventually snapped over the top of one of the cobbled ascents and a new group formed out front with Georgi and Floortje Mackaij.
As there were other dangerous sprinters in the group, Georgi and Mackaij cooperated in the early stages before sitting on, playing the card of Wiebes in the chasing peloton, which dangled at around 30 to 40 seconds in arrears. However, eventually the energy from the chase diminished and it became clear that the front group would fight it out for the win in the last ten kilometres.
Georgi and Mackaij peppered the front of the race with attacks, each going almost immediately after the other was brought back. With five kilometres to go it looked as if Mackaij might have made the winning move as the rest of the group hesitated but soon they restarted the chase and brought her back. Not giving up, Georgi and Mackaij fought until the very end with yet more attacks all the way under the flamme rouge, before Georgi then worked to position Mackaij for the sprint. Giving it her all to the finish, Mackaij threw her bike over the line, claiming a great third place for the team in a nail-bitingly close photo finish – a good result after yet another great attacking display.