Van Genechten sprints to Druivenkoers-Overijse victory

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Having won recently a stage at the Tour of Poland, Lotto-Belisol's Jonas van Genechten didn't have to wait long before claiming a second win in August as he sprinted to victory at the UCI 1.1 Druivenkoers-Overijse. It is van Genechten's third win of the year having also tasted victory at Gullegem Koerse.

Lotto had Sean De Bie in the day's main break of the race in which Belkin were the only other WolrdTour team, contained a maximum of 27 riders having formed after 10km of racing. As the break was caught, Jelle Vanendert attacked along with his brother Dennis and the two would be joined by van Genechten and stagiaire Oliver Naesen in the race winning move.

Naesen, in his third race for the team, then led out van Genechten who sprinted to the win ahead of Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise duo, Jasper De Buyst and Tom Van Asbroeck, as the main bunch crossed the line 10 seconds later.

"I was the leader for the sprint today, Jelle Vanendert could take his chance on the hills in the final," van Genechten explained. "The course was tougher than expected, I knew it wouldn't be a bunch sprint. In the final lap I made the race. I responded to an attack of Bjorn Leukemans. Together with Jelle I got in a small front group. Then it wasn't done yet, because there was still a hill to cover and the peloton was close."

Van Genechten was full of praise for the effort put in by Naesen in the finale particularity as the 23-year-old was racing against his future teammates having signed for the Pro-Continental team on a two-year deal just days before the race,.

"On that last hill Oliver Naesen joined us," Van Genechten said.  "He rode for me until 500 meters of the finish. There were two fast riders of Topsport Vlaanderen in the group, but I knew I was in good condition and had confidence in myself so I started sprinting first."

Adding that it was the efforts of the entire team that secured the victory, Van Genechten said that all the riders fulfilled their roles to perfection.

"We rode the perfect race with the team, we were strong," he said. "Sean De Bie was our man in the early breakaway, so we didn't need to chase. Then Jelle and I were in the decisive break and Oliver bridged the gap. He did a great job to make sure the others wouldn't attack."