Brabantse Pijl 2017: Colbrelli outsprints Vakoc in front group

The Brabantse Pijl 2017 amounts to almost 200 kilometres, while the route takes in 26 hills. Sonny Colbrelli is the fastest pilot in the front group, outsprinting title defender Petr Vakoc. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2017 Brabantse Pijl

1. Sonny Colbrelli (ita)
2. Petr Vakoc (cze) s.t.
3. Tiesj Benoot (bel) s.t.
4. Tim Wellens (bel) s.t.
5. Bert-Jan Lindeman (nld) z.t
6. Christopher Juul-Jensen (den) s.t.
7. Laurens De Plus (bel) s.t.
8. Silvan Dillier (swi) s.t.
9. Victor Campenaerts (bel) s.t.
10. Dries Devenyns (bel) s.t.

Race report
The break of the day features Janse Van Rensburg, Blythe, Rota, Dempster and Masson. They race to a maximum lead of 7 minutes. Dempster is dropped with 60 kms to go.

De Plus, Devolder, Campenaerts, Benoot, Périchon, Bole, Juul-Jensen en Skujiņš jump clear from the peloton with soms 50 kms remaining. They gobble up the front group, while Dillier, Devenyns, Lindeman and Colbrelli bridge the gap. For a while, Janse Van Rensburg is the only surviving escapee.

Skujiņš, Janse Van Rensburg and Périchon can’t follow the pace and the remaining leaders are 14 seconds adrift with one 23 kilometres lap left. A little later Devolder is dropped.

Wellens and Vakoc open the chase on the IJskelderlaan climb and they close the gap on Schavei, which is the last climb of the day. In the ensuing sprint Colbrelli powers to the win, comfortably ahead of Vakoc and Benoot.

Read about the route of Brabantse Pijl 2017.