2019 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (World Tour),
Belgium
74th edition: Saturday, March 2, 2019
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad podium history | 2018 edition | 2020 edition | Photos | Map & profile | Start list
Gent - Ninove, 200.0 km
Zdenek Stybar gets the first big race of the 2019 Belgian season. Sirotti photo
Weather at the finish city of Ninove at 1:40 PM, local time: 9C (49F), cloudy, with the wind from the SSW at 19 km/hr (12 mph). No rain is forecast.
The race: Here's the report from second-place Greg van Avermaet's CCC Team.
2 March 2019, Ninove (BEL): Greg Van Avermaet got his 2019 Classics campaign off to a strong and encouraging start at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad today, battling hard in the closing kilometers of the 200-kilometer long race before sprinting to second on the line.
A two-time champion of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Van Avermaet showed his grit and determination throughout the final 40 kilometers of the race after a strong group of favorites broke off the front of the regrouped peloton.
Earlier in the day, a four-rider breakaway was able to open up a sizeable 14-minute advantage before a reaction from several teams, including CCC Team, at the front of the bunch saw the gap begin to fall significantly approaching the halfway mark.
CCC Team quickly reacted to a split in the peloton with 80 kilometers to go, sending Nathan Van Hooydonck and Fran Ventoso up to the front to drive the pace and their hard work saw the potentially dangerous 20-rider move eventually pulled back approaching the bottom of the Valkenberg climb.
This excitement behind the four leaders meant that their advantage had fallen to inside two minutes and it was shortly after that the pre-race favorites, including Van Avermaet, took control of proceedings.
A series of attacks saw the leading group whittled down quickly before, after an impressive turn of speed from Van Avermaet, just six riders remained in front approaching the iconic Muur - Kapelmuur.
Van Avermaet continued to make the race difficult for his rivals, going on the attack on the steepest part of the penultimate climb and then again on the final one, the Bosberg.
The group, however, was still all together on the flatter terrain that lead to the finish line and with 30 seconds separating them from the first chasers with less than five kilometers to go, it was clear that the 2019 title would be won by one of the six leaders.
Van Avermaet showed his strength when he quickly closed down an attack by Tim Wellens (Lotto - Soudal) but almost immediately after that effort, with just over one kilometer to go, Zdeněk Štybar (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) launched his ultimately race-winning move.
The chasers began to look to one another with Van Avermaet, who rode a hard-fought finale, sprinting to second place and onto the podium at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for the fourth time in his career.
Greg Van Avermaet:
“I’m super happy with how the race went. We went quite early, from the Molenberg, in a big group but then it was always the strong guys who stayed in front and this is the way I like to race, and what fits me the best. In the end, it didn’t work out as they started attacking but overall, I’m happy with my shape and I don’t think I could have played it a different way.”
“I tried to directly close on Stybar [when he attacked in the final] but I had already done that to close on Wellens and you know in this kind of final that if you have five guys with you, it’s normally the fastest guy who has to close the gaps and this killed me a little in the end. Overall, I’m happy with how I raced. I tried to do good moves on the Muur and the Bosberg and in the end, I did one. But, what’s important is how the shape is. I saw some guys suffering and I was still feeling pretty fresh so I am super happy with how my shape is for the moment and hopefully I can keep it for as long as possible, first to Strade-Bianche next week and then as long as possible in the Classics.”
Sports Director, Valerio Piva:
“Second place is a pity of course because Greg was stronger, I think. We had bad luck at one point in the race when we had three flat tires and there was an attack, so we needed the team to close this gap. Then, Greg was super strong in the final. It was clear that he was the fastest and the others tried to anticipate that with attacks. He closed to Wellens but not to Stybar. I am happy with the race though, and the team, and the way we finished the race. It is only the start of the Classics season so we have started it off well.”
Complete Results:
200.0 kilometers raced at an average speed of 40.916 km/hr
| 1 | ŠTYBAR Zdeněk | Deceuninck-Quick Step | 4hr 53min 17sec |
| 2 | VAN AVERMAET Greg | CCC Team | @ 9sec |
| 3 | WELLENS Tim | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
| 4 | LUTSENKO Alexey | Astana | s.t. |
| 5 | TEUNS Dylan | Bahrain-Merida | s.t. |
| 6 | DRUCKER Jempy | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 7 | LAMPAERT Yves | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 8 | GILBERT Philippe | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 9 | TRENTIN Matteo | Mitchelton-Scott | s.t. |
| 10 | NAESEN Oliver | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 11 | KEUKELEIRE Jens | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
| 12 | MATTHEWS Michael | Team Sunweb | s.t. |
| 13 | VAN AERT Wout | Jumbo-Visma | s.t. |
| 14 | VAN BAARLE Dylan | Sky | s.t. |
| 15 | LANGEVELD Sebastian | EF Education First | s.t. |
| 16 | JUNGELS Bob | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 17 | DE VREESE Laurens | Astana | s.t. |
| 18 | KÜNG Stefan | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 19 | POLITT Nils | Katusha-Alpecin | 0:28 |
| 20 | TERPSTRA Niki | Direct Energie | 0:29 |
| 21 | OSS Daniel | Bora-hansgrohe | 0:30 |
| 22 | DILLIER Silvan | Ag2r La Mondiale | 0:32 |
| 23 | DURBRIDGE Luke | Mitchelton-Scott | 0:44 |
| 24 | PLANCKAERT Baptiste | Wallonie-Bruxelles | 1:52 |
| 25 | ROELANDTS Jürgen | Movistar | s.t. |
| 26 | STANNARD Ian | Sky | s.t. |
| 27 | DEVOLDER Stijn | Corendon-Circus | s.t. |
| 28 | DOULL Owain | Sky | 2:51 |
| 29 | HOULE Hugo | Astana | s.t. |
| 30 | VAN POPPEL Danny | Jumbo-Visma | s.t. |
| 31 | LAPORTE Christophe | Cofidis | 4:16 |
| 32 | DECLERCQ Benjamin | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | 4:42 |
| 33 | TEUNISSEN Mike | Jumbo-Visma | s.t. |
| 34 | JUUL-JENSEN Christopher | Mitchelton-Scott | 4:44 |
| 35 | GARCÍA Iván | Bahrain-Merida | 5:54 |
| 36 | PLANCKAERT Edward | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 37 | PHILIPSEN Jasper | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 38 | COLBRELLI Sonny | Bahrain-Merida | s.t. |
| 39 | LE GAC Olivier | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 40 | STUYVEN Jasper | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 41 | CLAEYS Dimitri | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 42 | DE BUYST Jasper | Lotto-Soudal | 6:17 |
| 43 | DE BONDT Dries | Corendon-Circus | s.t. |
| 44 | CAPIOT Amaury | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 45 | VALGREN Michael | Dimension Data | s.t. |
| 46 | VAN POPPEL Boy | Roompot-Charles | s.t. |
| 47 | DEVRIENDT Tom | Wanty-Gobert | s.t. |
| 48 | MEURISSE Xandro | Wanty-Gobert | s.t. |
| 49 | LIGTHART Pim | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 50 | VAN LERBERGHE Bert | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 51 | MULLEN Ryan | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 52 | BOASSON HAGEN Edvald | Dimension Data | s.t. |
| 53 | THEUNS Edward | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 54 | SINKELDAM Ramon | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 55 | VAN KEIRSBULCK Guillaume | CCC Team | s.t. |
| 56 | DE GENDT Aimé | Wanty-Gobert | s.t. |
| 57 | KONOVALOVAS Ignatas | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 58 | HOWES Alex | EF Education First | s.t. |
| 59 | PEDERSEN Casper | Team Sunweb | s.t. |
| 60 | VANDENBERGH Stijn | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 61 | SPRENGERS Thomas | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 62 | PHINNEY Taylor | EF Education First | s.t. |
| 63 | BOHLI Tom | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 64 | HOLLENSTEIN Reto | Katusha-Alpecin | s.t. |
| 65 | TURGIS Anthony | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 66 | VLIEGEN Loïc | Wanty-Gobert | s.t. |
| 67 | ISTA Kevyn | Wallonie-Bruxelles | s.t. |
| 68 | VERVAEKE Louis | Team Sunweb | s.t. |
| 69 | BARBERO Carlos | Movistar | s.t. |
| 70 | PETIT Adrien | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 71 | WIŚNIOWSKI Łukasz | CCC Team | s.t. |
| 72 | DEBUSSCHERE Jens | Katusha-Alpecin | s.t. |
| 73 | KNEES Christian | Sky | s.t. |
| 74 | TOUZE Damien | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 75 | ARCAS Jorge | Movistar | s.t. |
| 76 | JANSSENS Jimmy | Corendon-Circus | 6:23 |
| 77 | VAN GINNEKEN Sjoerd | Roompot-Charles | s.t. |
| 78 | SMITH Dion | Mitchelton-Scott | s.t. |
| 79 | ROOSEN Timo | Jumbo-Visma | s.t. |
| 80 | BOOM Lars | Roompot-Charles | s.t. |
| 81 | DUCHESNE Antoine | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 82 | PÖSTLBERGER Lukas | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 83 | BETANCUR Carlos | Movistar | s.t. |
| 84 | VAN HOECKE Gijs | CCC Team | s.t. |
| 85 | KOREN Kristijan | Bahrain-Merida | s.t. |
| 86 | VAN DER HOORN Taco | Jumbo-Visma | s.t. |
| 87 | EDMONDSON Alex | Mitchelton-Scott | 6:27 |
| 88 | PIBERNIK Luka | Bahrain-Merida | s.t. |
| 89 | WYNANTS Maarten | Jumbo-Visma | s.t. |
| 90 | CORT Magnus | Astana | s.t. |
| 91 | SCULLY Tom | EF Education First | s.t. |
| 92 | VANMARCKE Sep | EF Education First | s.t. |
| 93 | GAUDIN Damien | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 94 | DUVAL Julien | Ag2r La Mondiale | 8:36 |
| 95 | DENZ Nico | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 96 | BACKAERT Frederik | Wanty-Gobert | s.t. |
| 97 | GODON Dorian | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 98 | BOLE Grega | Bahrain-Merida | s.t. |
| 99 | DEHAES Kenny | Wallonie-Bruxelles | s.t. |
| 100 | LIEPIŅŠ Emīls | Wallonie-Bruxelles | s.t. |
| 101 | SPENGLER Lukas | Wallonie-Bruxelles | s.t. |
| 102 | VAN HECKE Preben | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 103 | DECLERCQ Tim | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 104 | BRESCHEL Matti | EF Education First | s.t. |
| 105 | PEDERSEN Mads | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 106 | MEISEN Marcel | Corendon-Circus | s.t. |
| 107 | EENKHOORN Pascal | Jumbo-Visma | s.t. |
| 108 | HOFSTETTER Hugo | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 109 | KIRSCH Alex | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 110 | TAMINIAUX Lionel | Wallonie-Bruxelles | s.t. |
Race photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti:
Team presentation ceremony: Team Direct Energie
Cofidis
Bob Jungels climbs the Grammont.
Jasper Stuyven
Benjamin Declercq
Jempy Drucker
Zdenek Stybar has the finish line all to himself.
Greg Van Avermaet wins the sprint for second.
Winner Styber just after the finish.
The podium, from left: Tim Wellens (3rd), Zdenek Stybar & Greg Van Avermaet (2nd)
2019 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad map & profile:
2019 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad map
2019 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad profile
Start list with back numbers, March 1, 2019:
| TEAM DIMENSION DATA | |
| DS: | Jean-Pierre Heynderickx |
| 1 | VALGREN ANDERSEN Michael |
| 2 | VERMOTE Julien |
| 3 | BOASSON HAGEN Edvald |
| 4 | NIZZOLO Giacomo |
| 5 | TILLER Rasmus Fossum |
| 6 | VENTER Jacobus |
| 7 | BAK Lars Ytting |
| DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP | |
| DS: | Wilfried Peeters |
| 11 | LAMPAERT Yves |
| 12 | DECLERCQ Tim |
| 13 | GILBERT Philippe |
| 14 | KEISSE Iljo |
| 15 | JUNGELS Bob |
| 16 | SENECHAL Florian |
| 17 | STYBAR Zdenek |
| LOTTO-SOUDAL | |
| DS: | Herman Frison |
| 21 | BENOOT Tiesj |
| 22 | DE BUYST Jasper |
| 23 | FRISON Frederik |
| 24 | KEUKELEIRE Jens |
| 25 | MAES Nikolas |
| 26 | VAN GOETHEM Brian |
| 27 | WELLENS Tim |
| AG2R LA MONDIALE | |
| DS: | Nicolas Guille |
| 31 | NAESEN Oliver |
| 32 | GODON Dorian |
| 33 | DENZ Nico |
| 34 | DILLIER Silvan |
| 35 | DUVAL Julien |
| 36 | GOUGEARD Alexis |
| 37 | VANDENBERGH Stijn |
| ASTANA | |
| DS: | Lars Michaelsen |
| 41 | BALLERINI Davide |
| 42 | BIZHIGITOV Zhandos |
| 43 | DE VREESE Laurens |
| 44 | GIDICH Yevgeniy |
| 45 | HOULE Hugo |
| 46 | LUTSENKO Alexey |
| 47 | CORT NIELSEN Magnus |
| BAHRAIN-MERIDA | |
| DS: | Tristan Hoffman |
| 51 | TEUNS Dylan |
| 52 | BOLE Grega |
| 53 | COLBRELLI Sonny |
| 54 | GARCIA CORTINA Ivan |
| 55 | KOREN Kristjan |
| 56 | AGNOLI Valerio |
| 57 | PERNSTEINER Hermann |
| BORA-HANSGROHE | |
| DS: | Steffan Radochla |
| 61 | ACKERMANN Pascal |
| 62 | DRUCKER Jean Pierre |
| 63 | OSS Daniel |
| 64 | PÖSTLBERGER Lukas |
| 65 | SAGAN Juraj |
| 66 | SCHILLINGER Andreas |
| 67 | SELIG Rüdiger |
| CCC TEAM | |
| DS: | Steve Bauer |
| 71 | VAN AVERMAET Greg |
| 72 | VAN HOECKE Gijs |
| 73 | VAN HOOYDONCK Nathan |
| 74 | VENTOSO Francisco |
| 75 | VAN KEIRSBULCK Guillaume |
| 76 | WISNIOWSKI Lukasz |
| 77 | SCHÄR Michael |
| EF EDUCATION FIRST | |
| DS: | Andreas Klier |
| 81 | VANMARCKE Sep |
| 82 | DOCKER Mitchell |
| 83 | HOWES Alex |
| 84 | LANGEVELD Sebastian |
| 85 | PHINNEY Taylor |
| 86 | SCULLY Thomas |
| 87 | BRESCHEL Matti |
| GROUPAMA-FDJ | |
| DS: | Frederic Guesdon |
| 91 | DEMARE Arnaud |
| 92 | DUCHESNE Antoine |
| 93 | GUARNIERI Jacopo |
| 94 | KONOVALOVAS Ignatas |
| 95 | KÜNG Stefan |
| 96 | LE GAC Olivier |
| 97 | SINKELDAM Ramon |
| MITCHELTON-SCOTT | |
| DS: | Laurenzo Lapage |
| 101 | TRENTIN Matteo |
| 102 | DURBRIDGE Luke |
| 103 | EDMONDSON Alexander |
| 104 | HEPBURN Michael |
| 105 | JUUL JENSEN Christopher |
| 106 | SMITH Dion |
| 107 | AFFINI Edoardo |
| MOVISTAR | |
| DS: | Pablo Lastras |
| 111 | ROELANDTS Jurgen |
| 112 | BARBERO Carlos |
| 113 | BETANCUR Carlos |
| 114 | ERVITI Imanol |
| 115 | ARCAS Jorge |
| 116 | SEPULVEDA Eduardo |
| 117 | PEDRERO Antonio |
| JUMBO-VISMA | |
| DS: | Grischa Niermann |
| 121 | VAN AERT Wout |
| 122 | ROOSEN Timo |
| 123 | TEUNISSEN Mike |
| 124 | VAN DER HOORN Taco |
| 125 | VAN POPPEL Danny |
| 126 | EENKHOORN Pascal |
| 127 | WYNANTS Maarten |
| KATUSHA-ALPECIN | |
| DS: | Dirk Demol |
| 131 | DEBUSSCHERE Jens |
| 132 | BIERMANS Jenthe |
| 133 | HOLLENSTEIN Reto |
| 134 | KUZNETSOV Vyacheslav |
| 135 | POLITT Nils |
| 136 | WÜRTZ SCHMIDT Mads |
| 137 | TANFIELD Harry |
| TEAM SKY | |
| DS: | Servais Knaven |
| 141 | STANNARD Ian |
| 142 | DOULL Owain |
| 143 | KNEES Christian |
| 144 | LAWLESS Christopher |
| 146 | BASSO Leonardo |
| 147 | VAN BAARLE Dylan |
| TEAM SUNWEB | |
| DS: | Michel Elijzen |
| 151 | BAKELANTS Jan |
| 152 | CURVERS Roy |
| 153 | KRAGH ANDERSEN Asbjørn |
| 154 | FROHLINGER Johannes |
| 155 | MATTHEWS Michael |
| 156 | PEDERSEN Casper Phillip |
| 157 | VERVAEKE Louis |
| TREK-SEGAFREDO | |
| DS: | Steven de Jongh |
| 161 | STUYVEN Jasper |
| 162 | THEUNS Edward |
| 163 | KIRSCH Alex |
| 164 | MULLEN Ryan |
| 165 | PEDERSEN Mads |
| 166 | FRAME Alex |
| 167 | BEPPU Fumiyuki |
| UAE-TEAM EMIRATES | |
| DS: | Simone Pedrazzini |
| 171 | PHILIPSEN Jasper |
| 172 | FERRARI Roberto |
| 173 | MARCATO Marco |
| 174 | MOLANO Juan |
| 175 | BYSTROM Sven Erik |
| 176 | SUTHERLAND Rory |
| 177 | BOHLI Tom |
| COFIDIS | |
| DS: | Alain Deloeuil |
| 181 | LAPORTE Christophe |
| 182 | CLAEYS Dimitri |
| 183 | HOFSTETTER Hugo |
| 184 | TOUZÉ Damien |
| 185 | VAN LERBERGHE Bert |
| 186 | VANBILSEN Kenneth |
| 187 | WAEYTENS Zico |
| CORENDON-CIRCUS | |
| DS: | Christophe Roodhooft |
| 191 | DEVOLDER Stijn |
| 192 | DE BONDT Dries |
| 193 | JANS Roy |
| 194 | JANSSENS Jimmy |
| 195 | MEISEN Marcel |
| 196 | STALLAERT Joeri |
| 197 | VAN TRIJP Maarten |
| DIRECT ENERGIE | |
| DS: | Dominique Arnould |
| 201 | TERPSTRA Niki |
| 202 | GAUDIN Damien |
| 203 | LIGTHART Pim |
| 204 | PETIT Adrien |
| 205 | PICHOT Alexandre |
| 206 | CARDIS Romain |
| 207 | TURGIS Anthony |
| ROOMPOT-CHARLES | |
| DS: | Michael Boogerd |
| 211 | BOOM Lars |
| 212 | ASSELMAN Jesper |
| 213 | DE WITTE Mathias |
| 214 | STEELS Stijn |
| 215 | REINDERS Elmar |
| 216 | VAN POPPEL Boy |
| 217 | VAN GINNEKEN Sjoerd |
| SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE | |
| DS: | Hans de Clercq |
| 221 | ALLEGAERT Piet |
| 222 | CAPIOT Amaury |
| 223 | DECLERCQ Benjamin |
| 224 | PLANCKAERT Edward |
| 225 | SPRENGERS Thomas |
| 226 | VAN HECKE Preben |
| 227 | WARLOP Jordi |
| WALLONIE-BRUXELLES | |
| DS: | Christophe Brandt |
| 231 | DEHAES Kenny |
| 232 | ISTA Kevin |
| 233 | TAMINIAUX Lionel |
| 234 | LIEPINS Emils |
| 235 | WIRTGEN Tom |
| 236 | PLANCKAERT Baptiste |
| 237 | SPENGLER Lukas |
| WANTY–GOBERT | |
| DS: | Hilaire Van der Schuren |
| 241 | BACKAERT Frederik |
| 242 | DE GENDT Aimé |
| 243 | DEVRIENDT Tom |
| 244 | MEURISSE Xandro |
| 245 | BAUGNIES Jérôme |
| 246 | KREDER Wesley |
| 247 | VLIEGEN Loïc |