Deceuninck-QuickStep win new-look Race Melbourne
By Cycling News
Viviani tops the sprint classification in new team-based format
Deceuninck-QuickStep claimed victory in the Towards Zero Race Melbourne on Thursday, with the criterium event adopting a new team-based format in its third edition.
Race Melbourne runs prior to the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, and QuickStep stated their intentions for Sunday as Elia Viviani helped them to victory by topping the individual sprint classification.
The new format borrowed from the Hammer Series in staging intermediate sprints on certain laps of the Melbourne Grand Prix circuit, and using a points-based system to decide the winner. The riders covered 14 laps of the 5.3km motor racing circuit around Albert Park, with sprints on laps 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14. Points were on offer for the top eight riders across the line, extending to the top 10 on the final sprint.
Max Walscheid (Sunweb) beat Viviani to the line in the first sprint, but Deceuninck-QuickStep showed their strength in depth as Michael Morkov also picked up four points. Indeed, despite Viviani's presence, it was a team effort, with Dries Devenyns winning two of the sprints from breakaways and Morkov placing in all but two. The clincher came at the end of lap 12, in the penultimate sprint, where QuickStep came across the line with Devenyns, Morkov and Viviani in the top three positions.
Despite Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) winning the enhanced prize in the final sprint to the line, the victory was already in the bag for QuickStep, who finished on 95 points, way out ahead of second-placed Jumbo-Visma, who scored 57 points through Thomas Leezer, Danny van Poppel, and George Bennett. Bora-Hansgrohe rounded out the podium with 40 points.
Despite not winning a single sprint, Viviani placed in all but one, and his consistency was rewarded with victory in the individual sprint classification. He finished on 37 points, with Walscheid second on 31 and Devenyns third on 30.
"It was about 40 degrees Celsius today and hard racing on the limit. We treated it like the Hammer Series, in that every time we had to sprint, we did it with two or three riders to take the team classification points," said Deceuninck-QuickStep directeur sportif Rik Van Slycke.
"The fight for the individual ranking was more intense, but Elia, helped by the guys, did a great job and secured the win in style. It was a big team effort today and a great example of the Wolfpack mentality. We now look with even more confidence to Sunday’s World Tour race."
Results
# | Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Deceuninck-QuickStep | 95 | pts |
2 | Team Jumbo-Visma | 57 | |
3 | Bora-Hansgrohe | 40 | |
4 | Team Sunweb | 39 | |
5 | AG2R La Mondiale | 30 | |
6 | EF Education First | 28 | |
7 | Astana Pro Team | 25 | |
8 | Team Sky | 22 | |
9 | Dimension Data | 17 | |
10 | Australian Cycling Team-Kordamentha | 10 | |
11 | Lotto Soudal | 8 | |
12 | Katusha-Alpecin | 7 | |
13 | Team Bridgelane | 6 | |
14 | Trek-Segafredo | 4 | |
15 | CCC Team | 3 | |
16 | UAE Team Emirates | 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb | 15 | pts |
2 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 12 | |
3 | Thomas Scully (NZl) EF Education First | 10 | |
4 | Brenton Jones (Aus) Delko Marseille Provence | 8 | |
5 | Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | 6 | |
6 | Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 4 | |
7 | Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates | 2 | |
8 | Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 15 | pts |
2 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | 12 | |
3 | Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 10 | |
4 | Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb | 8 | |
5 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 6 | |
6 | Alex Frame (NZl) Trek-Segafredo | 4 | |
7 | Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb | 2 | |
8 | Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 15 | pts |
2 | Michael Valgren (Den) Dimension Data | 12 | |
3 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | 10 | |
4 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Soudal | 8 | |
5 | Daniel McLay (GBr) EF Education First | 6 | |
6 | Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | 4 | |
7 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education First | 2 | |
8 | Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma | 15 | pts |
2 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | 12 | |
3 | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | 10 | |
4 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 8 | |
5 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | 6 | |
6 | Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb | 4 | |
7 | Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team | 2 | |
8 | Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 15 | pts |
2 | Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 12 | |
3 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 10 | |
4 | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | 8 | |
5 | Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb | 6 | |
6 | Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb | 4 | |
7 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education First | 2 | |
8 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team | 25 | pts |
2 | Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | 20 | |
3 | Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 15 | |
4 | Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky | 12 | |
5 | Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 10 | |
6 | Lachlan Morton (Aus) EF Education First | 8 | |
7 | Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Team Bridgelane | 6 | |
8 | Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data | 4 | |
9 | Brenton Jones (Aus) Delko Marseille Provence | 2 | |
10 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 37 | pts |
2 | Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb | 31 | |
3 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 30 | |
4 | Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team | 25 | |
5 | Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | 24 | |
6 | Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 18 | |
7 | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | 18 | |
8 | George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma | 15 | |
9 | Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 15 | |
10 | Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 15 | |
11 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | 12 | |
12 | Michael Valgren (Den) Dimension Data | 12 | |
13 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | 12 | |
14 | Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky | 12 | |
15 | Thomas Scully (NZl) EF Education First | 10 | |
16 | Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 10 | |
17 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | 10 | |
18 | Brenton Jones (Aus) Delko Marseille Provence | 10 | |
19 | Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 10 | |
20 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Soudal | 8 | |
21 | Lachlan Morton (Aus) EF Education First | 8 | |
22 | Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb | 8 | |
23 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | 7 | |
24 | Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Team Bridgelane | 6 | |
25 | Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | 6 | |
26 | Daniel McLay (GBr) EF Education First | 6 | |
27 | Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data | 5 | |
28 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education First | 4 | |
29 | Alex Frame (NZl) Trek-Segafredo | 4 | |
30 | Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team | 3 | |
31 | Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates | 2 |
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