Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: Wout van Aert takes convincing solo win on season debut

Wout van Aert has begun his season on the right foot, swinging a brilliant win at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad after an agressive race where Jumbo-Visma took a much deserved win. The Belgian attacked the race more than once, but before the Bosberg he launched a deadly move that could not be shut down by anyone.

The early breakaway consisted of Ben Healy (EF Education - EasyPost), Juri Hollmann (Movistar Team), Alexander Konychev (Team BikeExchange - Jayco), Quentin Jauregui (B&B Hotels - KTM), Ruben Apers (Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise), Donavan Grondin (Team Arkéa Samsic) and Morten Hulgaard (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team). Despite easily reaching a lead of 8 minutes, they were never a threat to a peloton that gave little resistance, but quickly nullified that gap once inside the cobbled sectors.

The likes of Magnus Sheffield and Philippe Gilbert made moves in the early crucial sectors, but the first dangerous attack came with 49 kilometers to go as Stefan Kung attacked in the Jagerij and joined up with Florian Vermeersch and Loic Vliegen who had a gap, and then with the breakaway. Jumbo-Visma and Quickstep controlled the peloton which had seen several crashes and intense fights for positioning.

On the Berendries the race exploded. With 29 kilometers to go Tiesj Benoot launched an offensive off the front of the peloton followed by Jhonatan Narvaez, Tom Pidcock and Wout van Aert, with Sonny Colbrelli bridging across after. The quintet joined forces with the group that was in front as Quick-Step were now the main team chasing, with UAE and Trek also putting in some work having missed the move.

Tiesj Benoot went solo just before the Muur de Geraardsbergen with the leading group caught by the peloton. As everything got back together at the top, Wout van Aert attacked before the Bosberg and with no answer from the peloton. He built a gap and kept it right until the finish with an impressive performance holding off the chasing group. Sonny Colbrelli and Greg van Avermaet were the fastest out of it and filled up the podium.