Eekhoff seizes the day after Philipsen crashes out

The 79th edition of Danilith Nokere Koerse ended in high drama. Belgian favorite Jasper Philipsen looked set to finally win the race after animating it all day, but a crash in the final kilometer took him out of contention. Dutchman Nils Eekhoff (Picnic PostNL) capitalized and sprinted to the first one-day win of his professional career.

The revamped local circuit, with extra cobbles, made for an aggressive race. Philipsen and Florian Vermeersch kept things lively with constant attacks, but no move proved decisive. Arnaud De Lie also tried to break away, but couldn’t match the pace on the cobbles.

Ultimately, it came down to a sprint on the uphill Waregemsestraat. Just as the peloton lined up for the final rush, Arne Marit crashed near the front, taking Philipsen down with him. The Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter, covered in abrasions, had to be taken to the hospital.

Amid the chaos, Eekhoff launched his sprint early and held off Matteo Moschetti and Luke Lamperti. Milan Fretin finished fourth, the best Belgian.