Keep Brabantse Pijl's surprise winner in mind for Amstel Gold Race: "Maybe we'll swap roles"

It was Grégoire who truly ignited the finale on the penultimate passage of the Moskesstraat. Following his acceleration, a group of seven eventually broke away, which included Del Grosso. Six riders remained from that move going into the final lap, before the sextet was caught at the foot of the rising final kilometre.

At the summit, it eventually became a somewhat chaotic sprint, in which Foldager proved to be the strongest. It was the first professional victory for the 24-year-old Dane, and with Brabantse Pijl, he immediately landed a significant prize. Had he surprised himself? "Yes and no. I knew I was capable of this," he said in the flash interview.

The Jayco AlUla rider explained: "It was a perfect race for me. It’s a very punchy and hard race, but then again not too long. With an uphill finish like this, it suits me quite well. It is by far my biggest victory, so I have surprised myself a little bit as well."

The victory was also thanks to Mauro Schmid, who did a crucial turn in the absolute closing stages to bring back the front-runners. "I was perhaps a bit too far back at the foot of the final climb. Mauro (Schmid, ed.) put in a perfect effort to bring back the leaders." After that, Foldager had to launch from afar. "Because it was full gas from the bottom. The moment I was at the front, there wasn't much else to do but put my head down and sprint."

While Foldager's victory may have been a surprise to many, his team certainly had confidence. "It looked quite difficult. When we arrived at the sprint, with the headwind, I knew it was possible. We still had Mauro there, so we really knew it could happen."

Naturally, it means a lot to the Dane. "As I said, it is pre-eminently my biggest win. It proves to myself and to the team that I have the level to finish in the top in these kinds of races. Just as I had hoped."

What does this victory signify looking towards the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday? "Maybe we'll swap roles then and I'll help Mauro, if he feels good. I dream of winning Amstel too, but I probably still need to find something extra to reach the level of some of the other riders," he remarked on the matter.