"We were helped quite a bit": Tibor Del Grosso admits camera motos could've played a major role at Brabantse Pijl

The results of 2026 Brabantse Pijl hardly make justice to how close we've come to having the race blow completely open with 30 kilometers to go. It was there, during a penultimate Moskestraat passage that Romain Grégoire provoked a key move which included most of the pre-race favourites. Including Alpecin-Premier Tech's talented youngster Tibor Del Grosso.

However, the promising escape was eventually reeled in with one kilometer to go, as several teams showed interest in guiding this year's edition to a bunch sprint finale - among them most prominent were the efforts of EF Education-EasyPost, Unibet Rose Rockets, and Jayco AlUla. The Australian team's investment eventually paid off the most with a rather surprising winner in Anders Foldager.

Del Grosso himself rolled over the finish line in a 19th place, even though it seemed that a lot more was possible today. "It was a good effort," he commented afterwards at Wielerflits. "But with the headwind in the final, it’s tough for a small group against the peloton."

The Dutchman tried to play his card tactically, saving a little for the final uphill drag sprint against his equally fast rivals, but that ended up unnecessary. "I still had something left for the sprint, but I just couldn’t get through."

The Belgian 1.Pro race produced multiple iconic moments in the past editions. Van Aert-Pidcock photofinish, or Evenepoel's sprint victory over Van Aert just to name a few.

But the Flemish races have also become infamous due to organizer's often influencing results via camera motorbikes unfairly providing cover for riders by riding too close in front of them. Was this also the case here at Brabantse Pijl?

According to some riders, the Brabantse Pijl resembled a derny race. Does Del Grosso share the opinion? "I don’t know how much the peloton rode behind the motorcycle, but we did quite a bit, yes. When those three rode away behind the motorcycle with that Uno-X rider, I knew I had to join them in the final."

All in all, the Dutchman looks back on a good day. "The form was good and I thought it was an enjoyable race. We rode a good race, but it is a shame that it just didn't quite work out," he concludes, looking ahead to Amstel Gold Race on Sunday.