Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2019: Stybar wins with late attack

At almost 200 kilometres, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad opens the Belgian cycling calendar with a race over thirteen hills and seven cobbled sectors. Stybar powers to victory with a late attack. Van Avermaet wins the sprint of the chasers ahead of Wellens, Lutsenko and Teuns. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2019

1. Zdeněk Stybar (cze)
2. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
3. Tim Wellens (bel)
4. Alexey Lutsenko (kaz)
5. Dylan Teuns (bel)
6. Jean-Pierre Drucker (nld)
7. Yves Lampaert (bel)
8. Philippe Gilbert (bel)
9. Matteo Trentin (ita)
10. Oliver Naesen (bel)

Race report
Roy Jans and Tom Wirtgen are the first attackers. Alex Howes and Tom Devriendt chase them down before the front group widens the gap to more than 14 minutes.

When the gap has fallen below 5 minutes Vanbilsen goes on the counter-attack and Stannard, Naesen, Pedersen, Roelandts, Teunissen, Vandenbergh and Stybar join him. They are brought back on the Valkenberg.

The front group is reeled in just before the Wolvenberg, but Devriendt extends his lead solo style. Planckaert and Wirtgen rejoin him before Planckaert goes solo.

An accelaration by Danny van Poppel on the Molenberg reduces the peloton. Title defender Valgren and Gilbert are dropped, while the lone leader is brought back.

After Elverenberg/Vossenhol the front group is down to six riders: Lutsenko, Oss, Stybar, Van Avermaet, Wellens and Teuns. They reach the foot of the Wall of Geraardsbergen 13 seconds ahead of some twenty chasers. Oss can’t follow the pace on the steep cobbles.

Van Avermaet puts pressure on his rivals on the Bosberg, but they stick to his wheel. The chasers are more than half a minute down on the five leaders.

Stybar counters an attack by Wellens inside the last 2.2 kilometres. He opens up a gap and the chasers lack a concerted organisation to bring him back. The former World Champion cyclo-cross powers to victory before Van Avermaet wins the sprint of the chasers and Wellens rounds out the podium.

Another interesting read: route Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2019.