Dutch champion rides solo from 50km to win final stage
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On the 183.6km stage 5, Mathieu Van Der Poel of Alpecin-Fenix was focused on the stage win(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Mathieu Van Der Poel of Alpecin-Fenix gets refreshment at the finish of stage 5 before the awards(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
On Muur climb Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) put on a show(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Mathieu Van Der Poel of Team Alpecin-Fenix attacked on Muur with 50km to go(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Sonny Colbrelli of Team Bahrain-McLaren and Soren Kragh Andersen of Team Sunweb in the breakaway(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Stage win on cobbles in hand at Muur van Geraardsbergen for Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) crossed the line for stage 5 win and took overall title(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Oliver Naesen of AG2R La Mondiale finished second on stage 5(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Soren Kragh Andersen of Team Sunweb and Oliver Naesen of AG2R La Mondiale drive the pace trying to catch stage winner Mathieu van der Poel(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Swiss rider Stefan Kung of Groupama - FDJ would finish fifth on stage 5 and secure third overall(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Florian Senechal of Team Deceuninck - QuickStep and Mathieu Van Der Poel of Team Alpecin-Fenix part of early Breakaway (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Breakaway on stage 5 includes Dries De Bondt of Belgium and Team Alpecin-Fenix / Rasmus Fossum Tiller of Norway and NTT Pro Cycling Team / Julien Duval of France and Team Ag2R La Mondiale (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Florian Senechal of Team Deceuninck - QuickStep in break with Mathieu Van Der Poel of Team Alpecin-Fenix(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Worst of crash absorbed by Dmitriy Gruzdev of Astana Pro Team(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Getting back on road after pile-up is Daniil Fominykh of Astana Pro Team (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Scenery in Belgium along 183.6km stage 5(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Final day of BinckBank Tour and stage 5(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Dries De Bondt of Team Alpecin-Fenix on Wall of Geraardsbergen(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Wall of Geraardsbergen on stage 5 of Binckbank Tour(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
GC podium (L to R): Soren Kragh Andersen of Team Sunweb second overall, Mathieu Van Der Poel of Team Alpecin-Fenix in Green Leader Jersey, and Stefan Kung of Groupama - FDJ was third overall (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Kenneth Van Rooy of Belgium and Team Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise earned White Most Combative Rider Jersey(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Mads Pedersen of Trek - Segafredo was in the leader's jersey going into Saturday and came away with the Red Points Jersey(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Stage 5 winner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Soren Kragh Andersen of Denmark and Team Sunweb celebrates second place for stage 5(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Stefan Kung of Groupama - FDJ takes awards for third place finish on stage 5(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Van der Poel came into the final stage 17 seconds down on race leader Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) but put in a stinging attack on the Muur van Geraardsbergen Mathieu van der Poel with a full 75km to go to the finish.
After pulling a group away, Van der Poel then attacked again on the second trip over the Muur and went solo with 50km to go.
Behind, Pedersen succumbed when Kragh Andersen attacked on the final ascent with 16km to go and the Dane, together with Küng, Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain McLaren) tried to chase down the Dutch champion.
However, Van der Poel swept up the Golden Kilometre time bonus with 11km to go to seal the overall victory and solo to the stage win, three seconds ahead of Naesen with Colbrelli in third.
"It is incredible that I won the BinckBank Tour", Van der Poel said. "I had started for the win, but after yesterday's time trial I didn't expect that anymore."
Van der Poel said attacking that far out was not his plan, "It was way too early," he said. But he felt that the group wasn't working and decided to go on the climb.
"And suddenly I was alone. For a moment I hesitated, because it was still far to the finish, but in the end I played all or nothing."
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Brief Results
Pos.
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Mathieu Van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
4:07:38
2
Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R la Mondiale
0:00:03
3
Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain McLaren
0:00:05
4
Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb
5
Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
0:00:09
6
Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis
0:00:47
7
Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck-Quickstep
0:00:50
8
Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Bahrain McLaren
0:01:08
9
Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bora-Hansgrohe
0:01:12
10
Florian Senechal (Fra) Deceuninck-Quickstep
0:01:13
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Final general classification
Pos.
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Mathieu Van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
2
Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb
3
Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
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