Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2022 [LAST 20 KM]

February 26, 2022

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2022 – Ghent – Ninove : 204,2 km

Taking place in late February, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad marks the long-awaited and much-anticipated return to the one-day racing season. Omloop is considered to be the new season’s grand opener, which is why many excitedly refer to this weekend in late February as ‘Opening Weekend’. As well as being the first European WorldTour race of the year, it’s also a great rehearsal for the upcoming cobblestone Classics as it features many of the famous hills from the Tour of Flanders. It’s here we get to see who has been training properly during the winter and who we should pay extra attention to over the next few months.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, following an attack 13km from the finish.

No-one followed the Belgian when he accelerated out from a select group of favourites just prior to the final climb, the Bosberg. He crested that climb with a lead of about 10 seconds, he managed to solo to the finish and take victory on what was his first day of racing this season.

Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Victorious) won the sprint for second-place from a group of about 20 riders, with Greg Van Avermaet (Ag2r Citroen) finishing behind in third.

Van Aert was greeted by a road from the Flemish fans upon arriving at the finish, who were celebrating the first victory at Het Nieuwsblad by a rider in the colours of the Belgian national champion’s jersey in 33 years.

Van Aert finished off what was a dominant performance from Jumbo-Visma. Teammate Tiesj Benoot led the group over the top of the Muur-Kapelmuur, having earlier attacked out of a strong lead group which Van Aert was also part of, along with, among others, other pre-race favourites Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Victorious), Stefan Kung (Groupama-DSJ), Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Soudal) Tom Pidcock.

Then, when Benoot was caught on the descent of that climb, Van Aert was still on hand to make his race-winning move shortly after.

Their performance contrasted sharply with QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, who were uncharacteristically missing from all of the key moves that were made throughout the race.

Even when the decisive selection was made on the Muur-Kapelmuur, few of their riders were present, with Bahrain-Victorious and Groupama-FDJ instead being better represented, and taking it upon themselves to chase when Van Aert attacked.

There was nothing they could do to stop the Belgian, however, who starts the spring looking in ominously good form.

Ride of the day came from Victor Campanaerts (Lotto-Soudal), who’s race appeared destined to come to a premature end when he crashed and was forced to have a bike change earlier in the race.Yet he persevered, and had the strength to not only make the final selection, but even sprint to finish fifth at the finish.

How it unfolded
Conditions were dry for the first Flemish classic of the weekend, sparing the riders the added trouble of wet cobblestones, but the relentless frequency of the climbs still made for a rude awakening for everyone getting back into the rhythm of classics racing.

In anticipation of the challenges to come, the peloton took it relatively easy for the first phase of the race, allowing a seven-rider break to get a maximum lead of over eight minutes.

In that breakaway group were Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Juri Hollmann (Movistar), Alexander Konychev (BikeExchange-Jayco), Quentin Jauregui (B&B Hotels-KTM), Ruben Apers (Sport Flanders-Baloise), Donovan Grondin (Arkea-Samsic) and Morten Hulgaard (Uno-X).

Mathijs Paasschens (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB) attempted to join them, but couldn’t quite bridge the gap, and consequently spent around two hours in no-man’s land between the ever-increasing gap between the leaders and the peloton.

Only when Paasschens was eventually caught around 115km from the finish did the gap begin to plummet, as the peloton upped the pace in anticipation of the business end of the race.

The onset of the climbs, beginning with the Kattenberg, prompted multiple small digs out of the front of the peloton, although nobody managed to go clear until Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) on the approach to the Valeknberg, around 70km from the finish.

Sheffield was brought back a few kilometres later, by a peloton that remained intact despite an acceleration from former Het Nieuwsblad winner Philippe Gilbert (Lotto-Soudal) on the Valkenberg.

Tensions increased as Jumbo-Visma led the peloton into the Holleweg section of cobblestones, and a crash on the cobbles saw several riders go down, including Victor Campanaerts (Lotto-Soudal) and Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates).

On the next climb, the Wolvenberg, Florian Vermeersch (Lotto-Soudal) and Loic Vliegen (Intermarche-WantyGobert Materiaux) countered an attack by John Degenkolb (DSM), and the pair opened up a significant gap on the peloton.

A few riders in the bunch tried to attack and join them, but only Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) managed to do so successfully, and joined Vermeersch and Vliegen on the cobbled Kerkgate sector, 50km from the finish.

By now the original break had broken into several smaller groups, and Vermeersch, Vliegen and Kung were catching the stragglers. At 45km from the finish, they caught up with what remained of the original break to form a new nine-man group at the head of the race.

QuickStep-AlphaVinyl had uncharacteristically missed out on the move, and joined Jumbo-Visma in leading the chase in the peloton, which was over 30 seconds adrift of the leaders.

The peloton remained very large at this point, and in the cramped roads Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) was involved in a crash, appearing to break his collarbone. Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) was also briefly out the back shortly after when he had a mechanical.

With the gap now at 50 seconds, Jumbo-Visma’s Nathan van Hooydonck took action with an attack on the Leberg, but couldn’t instigate an attack and the bunch remained together.

But the team had more success on the next climb, Berendries, as an acceleration from Tiesj Benoot saw himself, teammate Wout van Aert, and the Ineos Grenadiers duo of Tom Pidcock and Jhonatan Narvaez, all go clear.

They were joined by Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Victorious), and together, with 26km still to ride, these five riders caught the six riders that remained ahead of them: Kung, Vermeersch, Vliegen, Healy, Hollmann and Hulgaard.

Surprisingly, QuickStep-AlphaVinyl had again missed to move, and so it was up to them to lead the chase in the peloton, which was now 30 seconds adrift. However, despite using the big engines of Yves Lampaert and Kasper Asgreen, and being helped by UAE Team Emirates and Trek-Segafredo, they were unable to make any inroads.

With the crucial Muur-Kapelmuur approaching, Benoot attacked at the front of the race 20km from the finish, shattering the cohesion of a group that were reluctant to give Benoot’s teammate Van Aert a free ride.

They were promptly caught at the foot of the Muur, leaving just Benoot out in front with a lead of just under 30 seconds with what was a very large peloton in pursuit.

Benoot saw his lead evaporate on the climb, as Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) led the peloton over the top with many of those from the previous breakaway, including Van Aert, Trentin and Colbrelli, nearby.

Benoot was caught on the descent after, where the race came back together with over 20 riders still together.

Attacks in these circumstances were inevitable, with Oliver Naesen (Ag2r Citroen) among those to have a go.

But the big move happened just prior to the Bosberg, 13km from the finish, when race favourite Van Aert accelerated.

Van Aert extended his lead on the Bosberg to about ten seconds, and by now was fully committed. But despite his strength, he still had a big task on his hand holding off what was a very strong, and still very big (approximately 20 riders), group.

Despite the best efforts of the chasing group, who worked together relatively cohesively, Van Aert’s lead grew, and with 7km had reached 20 seconds.

Bahrain-Victorious’ Mohoric and Colbrelli and Groupama-FDJ were doing the lion’s share of the chasing, and so some of the impetus went out when Kung had a flat tyre.

A grimace on the Belgian’s face illustrated just how deep he was going, and by the time his advantage was up to 30 seconds with just a few kilometres to ride, victory was inevitable.

Results :
1 Wout Van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma 4:50:46
2 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:22
3 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
4 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
5 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
6 Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
7 Matteo Trentin (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
8 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
9 Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
10 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
11 Simon Clarke (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech 0:00:25
12 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
13 Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Movistar Team
14 Matis Louvel (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
15 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
16 Owain Doull (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost
17 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious
18 Thomas Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:27
19 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:32
20 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:42
21 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:01:20
22 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain Victorious 0:01:30
23 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
24 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
25 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
26 Luca Mozzato (Ita) B&B Hotels-KTM
27 Nils Politt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
28 Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
29 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
30 Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team
31 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
32 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
33 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
34 Jhonatan Narvaez Prado (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers
35 Connor Swift (GBr) Arkea-Samsic
36 Jordi Warlop (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM
37 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
38 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
39 Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal
40 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
41 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis
42 Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
43 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team DSM
44 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
45 Stan Dewulf (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
46 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
47 Jonas Koch (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
48 Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
49 Ben Swift (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
50 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
51 Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
52 Damien Touze (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
53 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis
54 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
55 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
56 Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
57 Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Nor) Team DSM
58 Michael Gogl (Aut) Alpecin-Fenix
59 Ben Turner (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
60 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
61 Florian Vermeersch (Bel) Lotto Soudal
62 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
63 Oier Lazkano Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
64 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
65 Ward Vanhoof (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
66 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
67 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
68 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
69 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
70 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
71 Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
72 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
73 Hugo Houle (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
74 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Bahrain Victorious
75 Ben Healy (Irl) EF Education-EasyPost
76 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
77 Daniel McLay (GBr) Arkea-Samsic
78 Lewis Askey (GBr) Groupama-FDJ
79 Tom Bohli (Swi) Cofidis
80 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
81 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Bahrain Victorious
82 Adrien Petit (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:02:16
83 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:02:31
84 Sander De Pestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:05:04
85 Morten Hulgaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
86 Juri Hollmann (Ger) Movistar Team
87 Erik Nordsaeter Resell (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
88 Louis Blouwe (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 0:05:49
89 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
90 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
91 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
92 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Team
93 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) EF Education-EasyPost
94 Senne Leysen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
95 Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
96 Clément Russo (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
97 Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
98 Peter Sagan (Svk) TotalEnergies
99 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
100 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
101 Daan Hoole (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
102 Michael Schär (Swi) AG2R Citroen Team
103 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team DSM
104 Lindsay De Vylder (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:08:33
105 Donavan Grondin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
106 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
107 Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
108 Magnus Sheffield (USA) Ineos Grenadiers
109 Jan Maas (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
110 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) UAE Team Emirates
111 Luis Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team
112 Dion Smith (NZl) BikeExchange-Jayco
113 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
114 Jordi Meeus (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe
115 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
116 Ruben Apers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
117 Tobias Bayer (Aut) Alpecin-Fenix 0:11:56
118 Patrick Gamper (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
119 Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
120 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
121 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
122 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
123 Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal
124 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNF Christopher Lawless (GBr) TotalEnergies 0:11:56
DNF Edoardo Affini (Ita) Jumbo-Visma 0:11:56
DNF Marius Mayrhofer (Ger) Team DSM
DNF Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team DSM
DNF Lawson Craddock (USA) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNF Leon Heinschke (Ger) Team DSM
DNF Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) TotalEnergies
DNF Edvald Boasson-Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies
DNF Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
DNF Alexander Konychev (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNF Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Quentin Jauregui (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNF Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
DNF Josef Cerny (Cze) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
DNF Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNF Maurice Ballerstedt (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
DNF Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF Antoine Duchesne (Can) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
DNF Michael Valgren (Den) EF Education-EasyPost
DNF Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
DNF Davide Martinelli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNF Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNF Michele Gazzoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNF Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNF Marco Haller (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Ide Schelling (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Piet Allegaert (Bel) Cofidis
DNF Eddy Fine (Fra) Cofidis
DNF Luke Durbridge (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNF Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis
DNF Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education-EasyPost
DNF Julius van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-EasyPost
DNF Lawrence Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
DNF Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) EF Education-EasyPost
DNF Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Cameron Wurf (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers
DNF Corbin Strong (NZl) Israel-Premier Tech
DNF Johan Jacobs (Swi) Movistar Team
DNF Szymon Sajnok (Pol) Cofidis
DNS Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNS Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Team DSM
DNS Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech