Brabantspaille promised much for Quick Step Alpha Vinyl, which had endured a classic campaign that was miserable by their high standards. With Remco Evenpole and Julien Alaphilippe joining the team in the hills of Flanders Brabant, the Belgian team looked as strong as any on the starting line in Leuven.

But five hours later, when the racers returned home in Overijse after a rain-soaked day, the final results of the Brabantse Pijl told a similar story for the team, led by Evenepoel, who finished in sixth place.

The 22-year-old was at the front of the elite group when he made a decisive move, coming under pressure from Ineos Grenadiers with 50km to go. However, he struggled on the wet cobblestone climb and was isolated against a trio of British teams in the final.

More tragically, world champion Alaphilippe hit the deck at the start of the final lap. Evenpole later said there was little he could do against the Ineos trio of eventual winner Magnus Sheffield, Tom Pidcock, and Ben Turner.

"Ineos, what can I say? It was the strongest team, three guys up front," he told the assembled press, including Cycling News, after the race.

"If you let one of them go like this, and then you jump out the back and they jump on the wheels, there's really nothing you can do. So it was really tough [for the team, which has some problems in a one-day race, but has two super strong teams, Jumbo and Ineos. The stronger team won here; if you have three out of seven, you are the strongest team."

"That's how we won too. We just have to accept how it should be and flip the switch."

Evenpoel did not particularly enjoy the conditions of the day. The pre-race forecast called for dry conditions, but the morning drizzle turned into rain throughout the race.

He compared the race to a cyclocross race and also said that if Brabantse Pijl is any indication of his toughness, he would not want to participate in a cobbled Flanders Classics race in the future.

"Today felt like a cyclocross race. I didn't know it was a cyclocross race, I thought it was a road race.

"It was really slippery. It was really hard to stay on the bike and not fall over. I wasn't comfortable on the cobblestones. My legs were still a little sore. It was a spectacular day.

"I wouldn't want to ride the Flanders Classic. There are too many cobblestones. I can't imagine racing in Flanders when you're already struggling with just two cobbled sectors.

Evenpole cited the first cobbled climb before the Mosquesstraat, the Hertestraat, as the toughest part of the day. He noted that he felt uneasy on the first gutter and sacrificed energy on the following three climbs instead of running on the cobblestones.

"I felt good, but I wasn't in top form to win. But I wasn't in top form to win. You might see it 100 times on my Strava," he joked.

Aside from the race, weather, and surface conditions, Evenpoel was also involved in two controversies on the day. One was his decision to push Ben Turner off the pace line with 70 km to go, for which he was reprimanded by the race jury.

And in the finish sprint, Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) deviated from the line in the sprint for the podium behind Sheffield and was nearly pushed into the barrier. As a result, he missed the finish dash and waved his hands in frustration with 150m to go.

"Wellens' dangerous moves were frustrating. 'A jump to the left like that is dangerous. His disqualification doesn't change much in the end. If I don't brake, I fall and we all fall."

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