Alaphillipe takes first win in rainbow jersey in Overijse
After a second place in 2019, Alaphilippe was victorious in Overijse this year. The world champion beat Van der Poel and Cosnefroy in the sprint and took his first victory in the rainbow jersey.
A leading group of 5 was given a free pass early in the race: Clément Chevrier (AG2R La Mondiale), Juraj Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), Michael Storer (Team Sunweb), Thomas Sprengers (Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise) and Andrea Peron (Team Novo Nordisk). The peloton let go pretty fast, but one rider made the crossing: Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (Trek Segafredo). So those 6 colored the first race hours and had a maximum lead of 5 minutes.
At 60 km from the finish world champion Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) accelerated for the first time, but the result was limited to 5 nervous kilometres in the peloton. At the front, Peron had to let go and the lead of his 5 fellow escapees shrank noticeably at that moment. At about 40 km from the finish the story of the early breakaway was over.
At the first passage on the Moskesstraat, about 33 km from the finish, Alaphilippe thought his second moment had come. Stybar (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) rolled out the red carpet for his leader, but it was Van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) who joined in and promptly set the pace. On top of the cobbled climb Alaphilippe and Van der Poel joined forces.
In the chase Wellens (Lotto Soudal), the third from last year, did everything he could to close the gap solo, but he did not succeed. The trio Cosnefroy (AG2R La Mondiale), Colbrelli (Bahrain-McLaren) and Fraile (Astana Pro Team) caught up with Wellens and left him behind with about 28 km to go. Meanwhile Team CCC did everything in the peloton to bring leader Trentin closer. But it was Kwiatkowski who could make the jump to the front on 't Schavei. A leading group of 6 entered the final lap.
The gap with the peloton was never really big and on the last time Hagaard some new men came to the front, including a man in support of both Van der Poel and Alaphilippe. On the Herstraat it was time for acceleration number 3 of the world champion and again only Alaphilippe and Van der Poel were left at the front. They didn't go full gas g yet and once again a small group could join the duo: Kwiatkowski, Colbrelli, Cosnefroy and Covi.
On the second and last time Moskesstraat a fourth acceleration of Alaphilippe followed. Van der Poel reached the world champion's wheel at the top and the Frenchman Cosnefroy was able to join as well. The three rode together to the finish of the 60th edition of De Brabantse Pijl. There world champion Alaphilippe was the fastest in the sprint, ahead of Dutch champion Van der Poel and Frenchman Cosnefroy.
Picture: Photonews
