Ella Heremans won the silver medal at the Belgian national championships for junior-women in Brasschaat on Sunday. The 17-year-old was beaten in a direct sprint à deux by the defending champion Hélène Hesters.

AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step were at the start of the 67-kilometres long race with Ella, Lore De Schepper, Nanoi Van Wettere and Luca Vierstraete.

Ella attacked quite early in the race and with Hesters. Together they defended a gap of around a minute on the chasers after which a sprint decided the outcome of the race.

“It was a very flat and not very technical course with long straight roads. It was not really a course for me because I am more of a climber but I made the most of it,” Ella reacted after the finish. “I tried everything and gave my all so I am happy with second place. Hélène is a great and well-deserved champion.”

Sports director Marco Aerts saw a team of four riders committed to each other and ride as a team which at this young age is an important goal for AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step.

“We said as a team that we would take the initiative and that’s what we did straight from the start,” Marco said. “Lore was part of the first attack but was caught. The second one was Ella and that was the right one. Our three remaining riders did a fantastic job in the peloton countering all the attacks. At a certain moment the peloton came very close and the leaders only had ten seconds but Lore, Nanoi and Luca kept a cool head and stayed focused. Seeing that teamwork is more important than the individual result. It’s this teamwork they will benefit from in their further development as riders.”

The other three riders finished in the peloton. Lore De Schepper was fourth, national time trial champion Luca Vierstraete 15^th and Nanoi Van Wettere 25^th.

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Ella Heremans wins silver at Belgian nationals