Maxim van Gils wins exciting Eschborn-Frankfurt decided in a sprint; Alex Aranburu and Riley Sheehan complete podium

Eschborn-Frankfurt was a race, once again, quite attacked. The race ended up being decided in a relatively big group sprint, but a puncheur won nevertheless as Maxim van Gils took another incredible result to add to his wonderful spring.

The breakaway of the day set off early in the day with German star John Degenkolb, Jacopo Mosca and Warre Vangheluwe present. A small group which did not threaten the peloton and allowed for a calm start to the day. Until the teams who wanted to push the pace on the climbs began to act...

Lotto Dstny and UAE Team Emirates pushed the pace on the Felberg with over 90 kilometers to go and it split the peloton quite a bit. Attacks flew off the summit, but were caught. A small group of around 25 riders went clear of the rest of the field.

A few attacks continued to move off the front, including one from Ben Healy and Emanuel Buchmann which proved quite dangerous. But they were also caught by an ever-moving peloton which kept a high pace until the final ascent of Mammolshain. Here Jan Christen attacked explosively and got a gap. The peloton was split behind but no-one else went clear, ultimately the peloton reunited itself a few kilometers itself with around 30 kilometers to go.

Christen held his gap incredibly well against a peloton led by Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek. A few attacks began with some kilometers to go, but a controlled peloton caught Christen with a few kilometers to go and a sprint was to decide the race.

EF Education-EasyPost led out the sprint and it was Maxim van Gils who sprinted for victory, a surprise triumph ahead of Alex Aranburu and Riley Sheehan.