Jens Debusschere (Lotto-Belisol) took his fourth victory in less than a month as he won the Nationale Sluitingsprijs, in Putte-Kapellen, to officially bring the 2013 Belgian road season to a close. The 24-year-old Belgian sprinter, who had taken the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen, and a stage and the overall classification of the Tour de l'Eurométropole in recent weeks, was the fastest once again on the wet, cobbled finishing straight in the northern suburb of Antwerp.
Second place went to 25-year-old Belgian Timothy Dupont (Ventilair-Steria), with recent South African Binche-Chimay-Binche winner Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg (Argos-Shimano) in third.
The 186km race, made up of 11 laps of a flat, but technical 16.69km circuit, saw several early attacks - including one from Debusschere - but nobody was able to escape for some time. Finally, a group of six riders got clear, with William Clarke, Ramon Sinkeldam and Bert De Backer (all Argos-Shimano), Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM), Johan Coenen (Differdange-Losch) and Zico Waeytens (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise).
The six riders managed to get almost two minutes ahead of the peloton but, with the gap dropping below a minute, Clarke, De Backer and Coenen left the other three behind.
With two laps to go the remaining three riders still had 35 seconds over the peloton, but this was down to just 20 seconds with 20km left, and they were caught just before they could reach the finish line to take the bell for the eleventh and last lap.
From that point the peloton stayed together around the wet circuit, with Debusschere coming out fastest at the finish.
Result
1. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto-Belisol
2. Timothy Dupont (Bel) Ventilair-Steria Cycling Team
3. Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) Argos-Shimano
4. Boris Vallee (Bel) Color Code-Biowanze
5. Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
6. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Cyclingteam de Rijke-Shanks
7. Steven Doms (Bel) To Win-Josan Cycling Team
8. Kevin Suarez (Bel) Doltcini-Flanders
9. Jarl Salomein (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
10. Wesley Kreder (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team