Kristoff wins Eschborn-Frankfurt

Alexander Kristoff powered to his third career Eschborn-Frankfurt victory Monday, led out so well in the finishing sprint that his Katusha-Alpecin teammate Rick Zabel claimed a convincing second. Trek-Segafredo's John Degenkolb rounded out the podium in third.

It was left to a much-reduced peloton to contest the finale on a cold, wet day in Germany. A number of aggressors tried to deny the surviving sprinters their shot at the win with attempted escapes in the last 30 kilometres, but none managed to stay clear, setting up a sprint on rain-slicked urban roads.

Katusha led the race into the last few hundred metres and Zabel and defending champion Kristoff even managed to put a gap of several bike lengths into those behind as they wound up to speed. Kristoff pulled in front as the line approached to take a commanding WorldTour win.

"I was a little bit dropped on the last climb but I had a strong team around me to pull me back," Kristoff said. "Without them I would have had no chance. We came back just before the laps and Rick was guiding me through the corners at the end and he did a perfect lead out for me and ended up second himself. Luckily he was my teammate in those last few k's because otherwise I think he would have won the race!

"Earlier Tony Martin and Angel Vicioso and also team Bora Hansgrohe were working with us. Then at the end Nils Politt and Zabel took over. It was a big team effort to get back on the front that enabled me to sprint for the victory. We are really happy and it was a great performance," said Kristoff.

An eight-man break formed over the lumpy early goings of the day as the race took on a succession of climbs on the outskirts of Frankfurt. Peter Koning (Aqua Blue Sport), Antoine Warnier (WB Veranclassic Aqua Project), Carl Soballa (Germany), Jens Wallays (Sport-Vlaanderen Baloise), Twan Castelijns (LottoNL-Jumbo), Brian van Goethem (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij), Dries De Bondt (Vérandas Willems-Crelan) and Nikolay Trusov (Gazprom-Rusvelo) comprised the move, whose advantage topped out at around five and a half minutes before the pack began shortening the leash.

Nasty weather saw the likes of Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) and Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) all pull out of the race before the racing really heated up.

The early break was caught with some 45 kilometres left to go. The regrouping spurred multiple attempts to form a new, stable escape, but none succeeded in opening a significant gap for more than a few minutes.

A strong selection of just under 20 riders – including Degenkolb – led the race into the final 30 kilometres but a peloton live to danger was sure not to give them too much breathing room. They were rejoined by the chasing pack 15 kilometres later.

Van Goethem and Pim Ligthart (Roompot-Nederlandse lotterij) made a last-ditch attempt to escape in the finale but were brought to heel to set up a sprint, where Katusha-Alpecin delivered Kristoff to perfection and a dominant victory.

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