Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2020 [LAST 25 KM]

February 29, 2020

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2020 – Ghent – Ninove : 200 km

The Omloop and Kuurne take place on the last weekend of February and are collectively referred to as ‘Opening Weekend’. There’s now a heavy schedule of racing across the globe in the first two months of the year but this still represents the start of the Classics season in Belgium and, for some, the true start of the season altogether.

Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) claimed the biggest victory of his career to date when he fended off Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck-QuickStep) in a two-up sprint to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Ninove.

The Belgian pair were the strongest members of a winning move that took shape with more than 70km remaining, and they underscored the point by forcing the pace on the Muur van Geraardsbergen in the finale, where only Søren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb) could follow.

That trio carried a lead of 10 seconds over lone chaser Matteo Trentin (CCC) onto the final ascent of the Bosberg, and they collaborated relatively smoothly until the final approach to Ninove, where their pursuer’s efforts finally began to tell.

Lampaert definitely shattered the unity of the break by accelerating viciously with 2km to go, only for Stuyven to respond in kind. Neither man could shake off the other, through their respective shows of strength did succeed in distancing Andersen, who had to settle for third place.

On the run-in, Deceuninck-QuickStep directeur sportif Tom Steels had looked to reassure Lampaert by telling him over the radio that he was strongest man in the front group, but the Belgian knew that Stuyven was the fastest. Lampaert thus manoeuvred his fellow countryman to the front in the final kilometre and forced him to lead out the sprint, but to no avail. Stuyven was simply too quick for Lampaert, though he also had the nous to drift slightly to the left in the sprint to make sure he wasn’t passed on the barriers.

Hailed as the coming man of Flemish cycling when he entered the professional peloton in 2014, Stuyven underscored that status by winning Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne four years ago. It was a win that seemed to herald a breakthrough, though it was a long time in coming. After a subdued Classics campaign in 2019, Stuyven rethought his approach this time out.

“It’s a great pleasure to show that I am back,” Stuyven said. “Last season, I was constantly chasing after the fact. But we did end the year well with Mads Pedersen’s world title. We were motivated to continue in that line this season, and we’re succeeding very well. Omloop is the biggest victory of my career.”

Stuyven’s victory had its genesis in a move that took shape over the top of the Rekelberg, some 71km from the finish in Ninove and just after the worst of the day’s rain had abated. When Andersen, Frederik Frison (Lotto-Soudal), Jonas Rutsch (EF Education First), and Tim Declercq (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) went up the road, Stuyven bridged across in the company of Lampaert and Trentin.

The alchemy of a successful break in the Flemish Ardennes is hard to achieve, but this one had all the right elements – namely a group of strongmen representing a spread of teams, including two from Deceuninck-QuickStep. With only Ineos inclined to marshal a pursuit behind, the escapees soon open a lead of more than two minutes. For at least the last 50km, it was clear that the winner would come from their number.

“I told the team yesterday that we had to ride well in front, especially in this weather. And that paid off,” said Stuyven, who matched Lampaert pedal stroke for pedal stroke on the Muur, and then attack for attack on the final approach to Ninove. Only a two-up sprint could separate them.

How it unfolded

After a raucous signing-on ceremony in the Kuipke velodrome, the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad peloton set out from Ghent beneath grey skies and temporarily dry conditions, but they would be buffeted by wind and rain as the day progressed.

Mindful of the difficulties to come, the peloton was content to let a five-man move slip away early on, with Senne Leysen (Alpecin-Fenix), Mathijs Paasschens (Bingoal – Wallonie Bruxelles), Lluís Mas (Movistar), Manuele Boaro (Astana) and Matteo Jorgensen (Movistar) forging clear. Kenneth Vanbilsen’s (Cofidis) lone chase – a so-called chasse-patate – came to nothing and the five leaders built a buffer of 7:30 before the CCC team began working to peg them back.

The first deviation from the script came on the sector of pavé at Huisepontweg pavé, where the bunch split into multiple groups. Ineos and Trek-Segafredo were well represented in a first group of 16 riders, with 5 and 4 riders, respectively, with Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Zdenek Stybar (Deceuninck-QuickStep) also aboard. Their gap grew to half a minute, with CCC compelled to lead a chase that lasted for 25km and put multiple riders in early difficulty.

There was a general regrouping shortly after the five leaders were stopped at a level crossing in Asper, better known for the Asper-Gavere cyclo-cross race, and ended up being stopped at a railway crossing, leaving 60 or so riders in contention as Omloop reached its midway point after 100 kilometres.

Ten kilometres later, the pace shot back up on the race’s second visit to the Haaghoek cobbles and Leberg climb. Stuyven and Tiesj Benoot (Sunweb) were among the strongmen who helped to create a lead group consisting mostly of team leaders, but once more, riders bridged back up to form a reduced peloton at the head of the race

It was a precursor of what was to come on the narrow streets after the Rekelberg, when Frederik Frison (Lotto-Soudal), Jonas Rutsch (EF Education First), Soren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb) and Tim Declercq (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) went up the road. They were joined soon afterwards by Stuyven, Lampaert, Trentin and Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma). Over 70km still remained, but the winning move had taken shape.

Luke Rowe (Ineos) initially worked hard to keep the eight leaders within 15 seconds, but the gap widened considerably on the wide concrete road that followed the Valkenberg climb. In the peloton, there was no co-operation and suddenly the seven leaders – Rutsch was dropped with an apparent hunger knock – had a gap of 2:30.

Lukas Pöstlbergher (Bora-Hansgrohe), Heinrich Haussler, Pascal Eenkhoorn (Jumbo-Visma), Jenthe Biermans (Israel Start-up Nation) and Dries Van Gestel (Total Direct Energie) launched a late counter-attack, but they never came closer than 1:30 behind the leaders. They were later joined by Van Aert and Benoot, who bridged across after attacking from the peloton on the Berendries with 30km to go. The peloton, however, was reluctant to grant Van Aert any leeway, and the counter-attack was swept up ahead of the Muur.

The seven leaders reached Geraardsbergen with 1:45 in hand on the peloton, and the group fragmented on the steep slopes of the Muur, with Declercq the first to feel the pinch.

Stuyven and Lampaert kicked their way clear of the rest on the most demanding section, where Andersen did well to limit his losses and catch back up at the top of the descent. Trentin crested the summit a further 10 seconds back. He battled gamely to get back on, but the strongmen had already taken flight.

Results :
1 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek – Segafredo 5:03:24
2 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
3 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb 0:00:06
4 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Ccc Team 0:00:39
5 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step 0:01:28
6 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma
7 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale
8 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
9 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama – Fdj
10 Florian Senechal (Fra) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
11 Wout Van Aert (Bel) Team Jumbo – Visma
12 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bora – Hansgrohe
13 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Ccc Team
14 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team Sunweb
15 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
16 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Movistar Team
17 Silvan Dillier (Swi) Ag2R La Mondiale
18 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain – Mclaren
19 Aime De Gendt (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert
20 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe 0:02:10
21 Michael Valgren Hundahl (Den) Ntt Pro Cycling Team
22 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain – Mclaren 0:02:20
23 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Ef Pro Cycling
24 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Alpecin – Fenix
25 Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie
26 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Ccc Team
27 Johan Jacobs (Swi) Movistar Team
28 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
29 Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
30 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Total Direct Energie
31 Michael Schär (Swi) Ccc Team
32 Bob Jungels (Lux) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
33 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Total Direct Energie
34 Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:02:24
35 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck – Quick – Step 0:04:03
36 Zdeněk Štybar (Cze) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
37 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start – Up Nation
38 Ben Swift (GBr) Team Ineos
39 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma 0:04:48
40 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix 0:04:53
41 Clement Venturini (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
42 Piet Allegaert (Bel) Cofidis
43 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Ntt Pro Cycling Team 0:05:58
44 Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
45 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek – Segafredo 0:06:00
46 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Team Arkea – Samsic 0:07:26
47 Nils Politt (Ger) Israel Start – Up Nation
48 Marco Marcato (Ita) Uae Team Emirates
49 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Ineos
50 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain – Mclaren
51 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Ef Pro Cycling
52 Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton – Scott
53 Edoardo Affini (Ita) Mitchelton – Scott
54 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Ineos
55 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start – Up Nation 0:09:32
56 Ide Schelling (Ned) Bora – Hansgrohe
57 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Circus – Wanty Gobert
58 Alexander Konychev (Ita) Mitchelton – Scott
59 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Ntt Pro Cycling Team
60 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Ccc Team
61 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis
62 Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkea – Samsic
63 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
64 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
65 Petr Vakoč (Cze) Alpecin – Fenix
66 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek – Segafredo
67 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Jumbo – Visma
68 Fabio Felline (Ita) Astana Pro Team
69 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain – Mclaren 0:09:46
DNF Patrick Gamper (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe
DNF Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Lotto Soudal
DNF Martin Laas (Est) Bora – Hansgrohe
DNF Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal
DNF Quinn Simmons (USA) Trek – Segafredo
DNF Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek – Segafredo
DNF Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain – Mclaren
DNF Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora – Hansgrohe
DNF Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Ccc Team
DNF Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek – Segafredo
DNF Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis
DNF Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step
DNF Franklin Six (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis
DNF Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis
DNF Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis
DNF Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek – Segafredo
DNF Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Jonas Rutsch (Ger) Ef Pro Cycling
DNF Lawrence Naesen (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Tom Scully (NZl) Ef Pro Cycling
DNF Dorian Godon (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Julius Van Den Berg (Ned) Ef Pro Cycling
DNF Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team
DNF Jonas Koch (Ger) Ccc Team
DNF Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Astana Pro Team
DNF Erik Baska (Svk) Bora – Hansgrohe
DNF Alexander Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
DNF Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team
DNF Zhandos Bizhigitov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain – Mclaren
DNF Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain – Mclaren
DNF Logan Owen (USA) Ef Pro Cycling
DNF Julien Duval (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Yoann Offredo (Fra) Circus – Wanty Gobert
DNF Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert
DNF Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert
DNF Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Circus – Wanty Gobert
DNF Joel Suter (Swi) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Samuel Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton – Scott
DNF Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Aksel Nõmmela (Est) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Floris De Tier (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix
DNF Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix
DNF Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Alpecin – Fenix
DNF Senne Leysen (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix
DNF Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) Uae Team Emirates
DNF Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
DNF Florian Vachon (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Casper Phillip Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb
DNF Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Team Sunweb
DNF Nico Denz (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Adrien Petit (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert
DNF Damien Gaudin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Gilles De Wilde (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Clément Russo (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Daniel Mclay (GBr) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic
DNF Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Cedric Beullens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Tom Bohli (Swi) Uae Team Emirates
DNF Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Mads Schmidt Würtz (Den) Israel Start – Up Nation
DNF Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Uae Team Emirates
DNF Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Movistar Team
DNF Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
DNF Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Luke Durbridge (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
DNF Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Ef Pro Cycling
DNF Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Movistar Team
DNF Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Start – Up Nation
DNF Luis Guillermo Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Start – Up Nation
DNF Marc Sarreau (Fra) Groupama – Fdj
DNF Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama – Fdj
DNF Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama – Fdj
DNF Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama – Fdj
DNF Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama – Fdj
DNF Mickael Delage (Fra) Groupama – Fdj
DNF Travis Mccabe (USA) Israel Start – Up Nation
DNF Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma
DNF Julien Vermote (Bel) Cofidis
DNF Mikkel Bjerg (Den) Uae Team Emirates
DNF Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uae Team Emirates
DNF Samuele Battistella (Ita) Ntt Pro Cycling Team
DNF Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Ntt Pro Cycling Team
DNF Juri Hollmann (Ger) Movistar Team
DNF Michael Gogl (Aut) Ntt Pro Cycling Team
DNF Alessandro Covi (Ita) Uae Team Emirates
DNF Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma
DNF Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Nor) Team Jumbo – Visma
DNF Leonardo Basso (Ita) Team Ineos
DNF Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Ineos
DNF Christopher Lawless (GBr) Team Ineos
DNF Owain Doull (GBr) Team Ineos
DNF Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Andreas Nielsen (Den) Ntt Pro Cycling Team
DNS Alexis Gougeard (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale