Today’s Halle Ingooigem featured the sixth round of Belgium’s Napoleon Games Cycling Cup. The parcour featured almost 200 km through a predominantly flat course between the Belgian towns of Halle and Ingooigem. Shortly after the starting flag dropped a 3-man breakaway moved away of the main group and they were allowed close to four minutes before the peloton decided to begin with the chase. 

The race entered into the closing 50 km of the day almost in one piece, with several riders trying to jump across to the front group. Once the junction was made, there were many attempts to break clear again with Marten Kooistra and Julius van den Berg always attentive in the head of the peloton. A group of 30 riders went away in the last 10 km of the race including our Julius van den Berg. The U23 Dutch Champion did not stand and still and with 6 kilometers to the line he attacked from the leading group with another rider to his wheel. Van den Berg’s move was brought was with just one kilometer to go, once the rain was directed to a final bunch sprint. 

Cees Bol, who wasn’t in the first group in the first instance, fought his way back in the final part of the day and tried to put himself into position ahead of the finish line. Bol paid the previous effort and rolled in 17th place overall, which allowed him to keep the Napoleon Games Cup leader’s jersey on his shoulders after six races. The competition will be back in mid-September with 1.1’s Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen.