Jasper Stuyven wins Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Image 1 of 27

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