Primarily a leadout man, Eekhoff had been expected to do the work for teammate
Pavel Bittner in the finale, but in the end he proved strongest himself. "It was a tricky finish. It was obviously the first time, so it was difficult timing for everyone," Eekhoff recaps. "I was actually positioning my teammate Pavel Bittner. Then the guys went from far, but everyone broke down. I waited a bit, got on and kept it going."
And following that aforementioned crash in Saudi Arabia, it marks an immediate and very welcome return to his best form. "I worked very hard to get back to level and I think I have succeeded quite well," concludes the Nokere Koerse winner.