"We were with three in the front with Pogacar. Matthews came back and surprised us, he has a lot of experienced as he won twice here earlier," De Lie said in
words following the race. "I tried to find my speed again for the sprint but to still go for victory was impossible. It's unfortunate we didn't go to the end as we had a big advantage being with three, but in the end it's promising for the future to be up there with three of us young guys on the highest level. The team showed it's strength here. We did a strong race and my teammates positioned me well. My form is here, and we will try again on Sunday".
Jenno Berckmoes, another of the team's revelations this season, tells the story through his point of view in words to Het Laatste Nieuws: "We were trying to ride the perfect race. There were three of us in the top ten and when they went, all three of us were with them. Certainly nice, but what do we get from it? We came here to win. The team was a lot better than last year, but we are not on the podium, so that is a shame".
Team DS Nikolas Maes supports the riders and their decision, stating that "nobody was disappointed. The team did perfectly until three kilometers from the finish, in the chaos that followed, perhaps not the best decisions were made, but in hindsight it's easy to talk".