"Unfortunately I couldn't sprint" - Shirin van Anrooij disappointed to miss out on Brabantse Pijl victory

Shirin van Anrooij had big hopes prior to Brabantse Pijl. Having worked hard in preparation the Trek-Segafredo rider expected victory but had to settle for only 5th place at the line.

"I hoped to be good, but I had trained really hard so I was curious if I wouldn't be a bit tired," the 21-year-old told Dutch press immediately after the end of the race. "In the beginning I didn't really feel very strong. And in the end it was just finished."

“The goal was to be in the right group this time and not miss it. That worked," van Anrooij continues, explaining her tactical approach to the race that was eventually won by the Italian rider Silvia Persico in a reduced bunch sprint. "Unfortunately I couldn't sprint anymore."

“It was of course a goal at the beginning of the season to reach this level. But to be there now race after race is very special. I do notice that I really still have to learn the game. And sometimes it is difficult if you are only there from the team," van Anrooij explains. "I don't think I should have done anything different. I think I got everything out of it. In the end I was up and just couldn't sprint anymore. But I sat where I had to sit and that was the goal," she concludes.