Cyclist Oliver Robinson’s recent good form continued with three more excellent results.
A fast 158k race at Belsele, near Lokeren in Belgium, saw Robinson, 23, sixth in 3hr26min39sec, just behind Belgian winner Loockx Lander.
But Robinson was impressive in winning four of the five sprints to win the sprints classification ahead of his Projectbouw Borgonjon team-mate Thomas Dhooge.
The Romsee-Stavelot-Romsee race, near Liege, was a different matter.
At 160k and with 2,500m of climbing, the race was first held in 1949 and is seen as preparation for the Belgian National Championships. Notable participants have included Philippe Gilbert - the 2012 world road race champion who has also won stages at each of the three cycling Grand Tours.
Robinson’s role was to work for his team and he finished in a much-reduced peloton, with Lander winning again.
Best of all for Robinson was second place at Beveren.
The 113k race involved 18 laps of a flat 6k course around the small town, just to the west of Antwerp, at a blisteringly fast average speed of 45kph.
Robinson, from Staple near Wingham, said: “I believe I should have won this race.
“I was feeling the best I had all year and was always at the front. Eventually, it came down to the sprint from 10 riders.
“The guy who won (Belgium’s Sven Noels) saw that I was faster and coming up on his outside, and he closed the gap.”
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