Team dsm-firmenich PostNL’s Development program were back in action on Saturday afternoon for the one-day Dutch race, Ronde van Overijssel. With no wind or rain in the air, the potential crosswinds that normally shape the race wouldn’t prevail. Unfortunately, it would be crashes that shaped the day with a really nervous bunch, and in one of the many spills Vlad Van Mechelen was ultimately forced to abandon. The early two-rider break was brought back with around 50 kilometres to go and the attacks started again and a strong seven rider group went clear. Oliver Peace then helped pull in the bunch with the team having missed the move and that would ultimately come back. Robbe Dhondt and Frank Aron Ragilo were then both active in the following moves but nothing stuck, and the race charged towards a sprint. Looking to position Johan Dorussen for the finale, Aron Ragilo dropped him off in a promising position but Dorussen unfortunately got squeezed against the barriers and went down; with Aron Ragilo ultimately being the team’s top finisher on the day.
Aron Ragilo said: “There was no wind on the forecast but the bunch was really nervous and halfway through the day we lost Vlad to a crash. Towards the local laps we were really active at the front, showing a bit of initiative but lacked a little bit of power when a really important move went. Oliver then did a really good job bringing us closer to it and eventually catching it. Personally, my legs were really good on the local lap. I managed to follow some moves but with no success and it was all together for the sprint. Me and Johan were nicely together two kilometres before the finish but we picked the wrong side of the road. He managed to slip through and was up for a good sprint but unfortunately crashed in the finale.”