Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Matt Brammeier was the team's top finisher in the 151km Ster ZLM Toer GP Jan van Heeswijk Stage 1 on Thursday, in a stage that came down to some of the top sprinters in the world.
Brammeier was 19th, in a sprinter friendly stage that was won by Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano), with Mark Renshaw (Rabobank) taking 2nd and Mark Cavendish (Sky ProCycling) finishing 3rd. Iljo Keisse was directly behind Brammeier in 20th.
Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator), Jesper Schippers (Cyclingteam De Rijke), Rens te Stroet (Cyclingteam Jo Piels) and Jeffrey Wiersma (Metec Continental Cyclingteam) had a 6'30" gap at the largest in the break, but the gap dropped dramatically once the stage hit the circuit portion of the course.
Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team looks next to an 167km Stage 2 tomorrow.