Luca Mozzatto beats Soren Kragh Andersen and Edward Theuns to win thrilling Binche-Chimay-Binche sprint

Luca Mozzato continues his great run of form and has taken the win in the Binche-Chimay-Binche semi-classic, winning the gruelling uphill sprint.

The breakaway whose last survivors were Ryan Gibbons and Dries de Bondt was caught inside of the last 30 kilometers and the Belgian semi-classic, which featured a slightly hilly profile, began to see attacks just before. Trying to anticipate a sprint finish, several groups went up the road but the hefty peloton had the legs to pursue.

Read also

"It's going to be a bloodbath" - Oliver Naesen on Jumbo-Visma, Soudal - Quick-Step merger

Hugo Page and Casper Pedersen attacked with around 15 kilometers to go and got a gap that looked to be dangerous, with Lotto Dstny doing a lot of work to close the gap because of the ambitions of Arnaud De Lie. A few sprinters still resisted in the peloton.

The move was closed with 5 kilometers to go. Almost inside the final kilometer there was a crash that split the peloton almost at it's head and reducing the amount of possible contenders for victory.

Soren Kragh Andersen launched his sprint from very early on in the steep cobbled sector of the finale. Edward Theuns bridged across to the wheel but the effort proved too much and he could not go across. It was Luca Mozzato who was in the wheels of a small chasing group who still had legs in the final meters, and he jumped across to take a very big win. He beat Andersen and Theuns who completed the podium. 

Read also

Report suggests six riders could join Jumbo-Visma, Soudal - Quick-Step | Yves Lampaert a request of Wout van Aert