Zdenek Stybar victorious in E3 BinckBank Classic
Mar 30 2019 12:10 am CET
Deceuninck-Quick-Step
Deceuninck-Quick-Step's Zdenek Stybar has taken the victory of the E3 BinckBank Classic. The rider was the strongest at the final sprint in Harelbeke and crossed the finish line ahead of Wout van Aert and Greg Van Avermaet.
The cobbled classic was 204 kilometres long with start and finish in Harelbeke. The race started with a breakaway of eight that included names like Marc Hirschi (Sunweb), Jaime Castrillo (Movistar) and Ludwig De Winter (Wanty-Gobert).
With 57 kilometres to go, Deceuninck-Quick-Step's Bob Jungels made a move from the pack and kilometres later joined the front group. His move was later copied by Katusha-Alpecin's Nils Pollit and Movistar's Jasha Sütterlin.
The trio that just moved to the front left all the other escapees behind minus Hirschi, who could hold their rhythm. Behind them, a strong group that included Matteo Trentin, Greg Van Avermaet, Peter Sagan, Oliver Naesen, Zdenek Stybar, Alberto Bettiol, Wout van Aert and Jens Keukeleire formed a chasing group to try to catch the front men.
Jungels changed the pace with 30 kilometres to go and left all his companions struggling behind, after which they were all eventually caught by the chasers. With 20 kilometres to go and as a group led by Niki Terpstra (Direct Energie) was getting closer, Van Avermaet increased the pace in the chase group and only Van Aert, Stybar and Bettiol could follow while Sagan couldn't hold the rhythm and was left behind.
Despite Jungels' time trial talent and positioning, he was caught at seven kilometres from the finish line. The five men arrived together to the final kilometre and the first man to launch the sprint was Van Avermaet but he was soon overtaken by Stybar, who crossed the line in the first position.
The former Cyclocross champion outsprinted Van Aert and Van Avermaet. This is the third victory for the Czech rider after the ones at the fifth stage of the Volta ao Algarve and the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Bettiol and Jungels completed the top five of the day and Katusha-Alpecin's Politt was the fastest of the chasers.
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