Brabantse Pijl 2019: Van der Poel outsprints Alaphilippe, Wellens and Matthews

Pre-race favourites Alaphilippe, Matthews, Van der Poel and Wellens battle it out in the finale of the Brabantse Pijl. The Dutch cyclo-crosser opens the sprint to outgun the other three. Alaphilippe and Wellens join him on the podium. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results Brabanste Pijl 2019

1. Mathieu van der Poel (nld)
2. Julian Alaphilippe (fra)
3. Tim Wellens (bel)
4. Michael Matthews (aus)
5. Bjorg Lambrecht (bel)
6. Alberto Bettiol (ita)
7. Enrico Gasparotto (ita)
8. Alexander Kamp (den)
9. Pieter Serry (bel)
10. Maurits Lammertink (nld)

Race report
Dries De Bondt, Francesco Manuel Bongiorno, Arjen Livyns, Edward Planckaert, Andrea Peron, Ludovic Robeet and Frederik Backaert open up a gap just before the first climb, Smeysberg. They carve out an advantage of almost 5 minutes before the peloton takes the reins.

Tos van der Sande goes after them when the lead has fallen to 1 minute with three laps remaining. Mikkel Frølich Honoré joins him, while Mathieu van der Poel bridges across later. Shortly, the three are brought back.

On the IJskelderlaan climb the lead group is down to four: De Bondt, Backaert, Planckaert and Livyns. They move over the line with a lead of 30 seconds before they are brought back with 30 kilometres remaining. Daryl Impey strikes 3 kilometres later on the IJskelderlaan. The bell for the last round rings in his ears with a 23 seconds lead.

Alaphilippe attacks inside the last 17 kilometres and Wellens, Van der Poel and Matthews go with him. They rejoin Impey, who is dropped on the Holstheide climb.

Despite some attacks the race comes down to a sprint. Van der Poel opens and finishes it off in brilliant style. Alaphilippe and Wellens round out the podium.

Other interesting reads: route and start list of the 2019 Brabantse Pijl.