E3 BinckBank Classic 2019: Stybar wins five-up sprint

The E3 BinckBank Classic is the opener of the Flemish Week, which reaches its zenit in the Tour of Flanders. Zdenek Stybar wins the race in a five-up sprint, outgunning Wout Van Aert and Greg Van Avermaet on the line. Alberto Bettiol comes in fourth, Bob Jungels is fifth. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results E3 Binckbank Classis 2019

1. Zdenek Stybar (cze)
2. Wout Van Aert (bel) s.t.
3. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) s.t.
4. Alberto Bettiol (ita) s.t.
5. Bob Jungels (lux) + 0.03
6. Nils Politt (ger) + 1.04
7. Matteo Trentin (ita) s.t.
8. Oliver Naesen (bel) s.t.
9. Jasha Sütterlin (ger) s.t.
10. Marc Hirschi (swi) s.t.

Race report
It takes a while for the breakaway to take shape, but after the first climb, Katteberg, Thomas Sprengers, Stijn Steels, Ludwig De Winter, Aksel Nommela, Mihkel Raim, Jaime Castrillo and Marc Hirschi open up a gap, while Lionel Taminiaux bridges across.

The eight race out a gap of almost 6 minutes, while pre-race favourite Sep Vanmarcke crashes out with 85 kilometres remaining.

Bob Jungels accelerates inside the last 62 kilometres and he closes a gap of 20 seconds to the lead group. Politt and Sütterlin jump across too.

Jungels and Hirschi head out together with 40 kilometres to go and re-widen the gap to 1 minute. Politt and Sütterlin chase them down again.

The first chasers – Sagan, Van Aert, Naesen, Keukeleire, Stybar, Trentin and Bettiol – come closer, but then Jungels goes solo inside the last 30 kilometres. The chasers gobble up Hirschi, Politt and Sütterlin, while Jungels carves out his lead.

Van Avermaet speeds up at the Tiegemberg and Van Aert, Bettiol and Stybar go with him. They catch Jungels inside the last 7 kilometres.

Stybar strikes with 3 kilometres to go, but does not manage to open a gap.

Other interesting reads:
– route E3 BinckBank Classic 2019
– start list