2020 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – Results, Report, and Race Highlights
After a substandard 2019 Classics season, Jasper Stuyven opens the 2020 season with victory in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
There is no better way to make amends for a disappointing 2019 Classics season than winning the opening race a year later.
The Trek-Segafredo Classics Team showed they have returned with a vengeance when Jasper Stuyven won a two-up sprint over Yves Lampaert (Deceuninck-Quick Step) to claim victory in the much anticipated first cobbled classic, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, his biggest win to date.
“I told the team that we needed to be in the front all day, and I think the focus from start to finish was excellent; we were always there,” said Stuyven. “And I got to finish it off today. It’s the best victory I’ve had!
“Last year was a disaster, but this is a good start. Today we showed as a team that last year was a mishap. We have a good group, and we finished the season well last year with Mads winning Worlds, and we were really motivated to keep this vibe going this year, We proved today that it worked out really well.”
The winning selection came unexpectedly early with 65 kilometers to go, but not for Stuyven, who showed his savviness in marking the right move.
“We said yesterday in the team meeting that the move could happen early in this weather, and with the crosswinds early on, there were already tired legs in the peloton,” explained Stuyven. “And then I was following some moves, and I saw a group going, and I saw all the big teams were there. I think it was very important to jump [into it] and not get into a defensive mode. Then I heard immediately in the radio that everything was slowing down behind, so it was a good group to go to the line with.”
It was a strong group of eight that moved clear, holding a two-minute advantage over the final 50 kilometers that never wavered much as the oomph gradually sizzled out of the chasing bunch behind.
But the Muur van Geraardsbergen still lingered. The iconic climb verified its decisiveness once again when over the top only three riders emerged: Stuyven, Lampaert, and Soren Kragh Andersen of Team Sunweb.
“Steven (de Jongh, director) encouraged me to try on the Muur,” continued Stuyven. “I wasn’t feeling the strongest, but I also knew everyone was tired. Once we started the Muur and no one accelerated, I thought I would try to accelerate myself, and we would see what happens – I only looked back at the top, and I think I made a good split.”
Coming into the final two kilometers, Lampaert and Stuyven traded blows, purging Andersen but not each other, and a sprinting dual decided the victor.
“After [the Muur] Soren was not really committed, and I was not sure if he was dying or playing a little bit, so it was hard – I didn’t want to do most of the work; I was not sure of the win, that’s for sure,” added Stuyven.
“Steven told me, ‘it’s your day, you’re the fastest, ’ and Yves was also telling me, “you’re the fastest,’ but I didn’t want to get overconfident. I was not 100 percent sure I would beat Yves in the sprint, but I managed it really well.
“When we started the sprint, Yves was on the left of my wheel, so I went a little more to the left and held my position, and I managed to close the door on him well.”
It was a massive win for Stuyven and the entire Trek-Segafredo Classics Team after two dry years.
“In 2018, I was always there but didn’t win, and so of course expectations were high last year, from everyone and also myself, to take that win, and that went really badly,” said Stuyven. “It’s super nice, especially since it’s the opening classic of the season and after the super teamwork today and how everything fell into place.
“It’s really nice to have a victory in the pocket already as that makes me even more relaxed,” he added.
| Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek – Segafredo | 5:03:24 |
| 2 | Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 3 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb | 0:00:06 |
| 4 | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Ccc Team | 0:00:39 |
| 5 | Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | 0:01:28 |
| 6 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma | |
| 7 | Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| 8 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 9 | Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama – Fdj | |
| 10 | Florian Senechal (Fra) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 11 | Wout Van Aert (Bel) Team Jumbo – Visma | |
| 12 | Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| 13 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Ccc Team | |
| 14 | Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team Sunweb | |
| 15 | Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 16 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Movistar Team | |
| 17 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| 18 | Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| 19 | Aime De Gendt (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| 20 | Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe | 0:02:10 |
| 21 | Michael Valgren Hundahl (Den) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| 22 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain – Mclaren | 0:02:20 |
| 23 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| 24 | Scott Thwaites (GBr) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| 25 | Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| 26 | Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Ccc Team | |
| 27 | Johan Jacobs (Swi) Movistar Team | |
| 28 | Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 29 | Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| 30 | Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Total Direct Energie | |
| 31 | Michael Schär (Swi) Ccc Team | |
| 32 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 33 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Total Direct Energie | |
| 34 | Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:02:24 |
| 35 | Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | 0:04:03 |
| 36 | Zdeněk Štybar (Cze) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 37 | Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| 38 | Ben Swift (GBr) Team Ineos | |
| 39 | Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma | 0:04:48 |
| 40 | Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix | 0:04:53 |
| 41 | Clement Venturini (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| 42 | Piet Allegaert (Bel) Cofidis | |
| 43 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | 0:05:58 |
| 44 | Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| 45 | Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek – Segafredo | 0:06:00 |
| 46 | Christophe Noppe (Bel) Team Arkea – Samsic | 0:07:26 |
| 47 | Nils Politt (Ger) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| 48 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Uae Team Emirates | |
| 49 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Ineos | |
| 50 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| 51 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| 52 | Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| 53 | Edoardo Affini (Ita) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| 54 | Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Ineos | |
| 55 | Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start – Up Nation | 0:09:32 |
| 56 | Ide Schelling (Ned) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| 57 | Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| 58 | Alexander Konychev (Ita) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| 59 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| 60 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Ccc Team | |
| 61 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis | |
| 62 | Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkea – Samsic | |
| 63 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 64 | Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| 65 | Petr Vakoč (Cze) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| 66 | Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek – Segafredo | |
| 67 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Jumbo – Visma | |
| 68 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
| 69 | Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain – Mclaren | 0:09:46 |
| DNF | Patrick Gamper (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| DNF | Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Lotto Soudal | |
| DNF | Martin Laas (Est) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| DNF | Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal | |
| DNF | Quinn Simmons (USA) Trek – Segafredo | |
| DNF | Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek – Segafredo | |
| DNF | Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| DNF | Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| DNF | Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Ccc Team | |
| DNF | Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek – Segafredo | |
| DNF | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis | |
| DNF | Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| DNF | Franklin Six (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| DNF | Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis | |
| DNF | Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis | |
| DNF | Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis | |
| DNF | Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek – Segafredo | |
| DNF | Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
| DNF | Jonas Rutsch (Ger) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| DNF | Lawrence Naesen (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| DNF | Tom Scully (NZl) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| DNF | Dorian Godon (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| DNF | Julius Van Den Berg (Ned) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| DNF | Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team | |
| DNF | Jonas Koch (Ger) Ccc Team | |
| DNF | Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Astana Pro Team | |
| DNF | Erik Baska (Svk) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| DNF | Alexander Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| DNF | Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team | |
| DNF | Zhandos Bizhigitov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
| DNF | Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| DNF | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
| DNF | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| DNF | Logan Owen (USA) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| DNF | Julien Duval (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| DNF | Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| DNF | Yoann Offredo (Fra) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| DNF | Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| DNF | Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| DNF | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| DNF | Joel Suter (Swi) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| DNF | Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| DNF | Samuel Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| DNF | Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| DNF | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| DNF | Aksel Nõmmela (Est) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| DNF | Floris De Tier (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| DNF | Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| DNF | Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| DNF | Senne Leysen (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| DNF | Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) Uae Team Emirates | |
| DNF | Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| DNF | Florian Vachon (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic | |
| DNF | Casper Phillip Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb | |
| DNF | Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
| DNF | Nico Denz (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
| DNF | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
| DNF | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| DNF | Adrien Petit (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| DNF | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| DNF | Damien Gaudin (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| DNF | Gilles De Wilde (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| DNF | Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkea – Samsic | |
| DNF | Clément Russo (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic | |
| DNF | Daniel Mclay (GBr) Team Arkea – Samsic | |
| DNF | Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Team Arkea – Samsic | |
| DNF | Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| DNF | Cedric Beullens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| DNF | Tom Bohli (Swi) Uae Team Emirates | |
| DNF | Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| DNF | Mads Schmidt Würtz (Den) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| DNF | Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Uae Team Emirates | |
| DNF | Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Movistar Team | |
| DNF | Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| DNF | Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
| DNF | Luke Durbridge (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| DNF | Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| DNF | Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Movistar Team | |
| DNF | Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| DNF | Luis Guillermo Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team | |
| DNF | Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| DNF | Marc Sarreau (Fra) Groupama – Fdj | |
| DNF | Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama – Fdj | |
| DNF | Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama – Fdj | |
| DNF | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama – Fdj | |
| DNF | Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama – Fdj | |
| DNF | Mickael Delage (Fra) Groupama – Fdj | |
| DNF | Travis Mccabe (USA) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| DNF | Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma | |
| DNF | Julien Vermote (Bel) Cofidis | |
| DNF | Mikkel Bjerg (Den) Uae Team Emirates | |
| DNF | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uae Team Emirates | |
| DNF | Samuele Battistella (Ita) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| DNF | Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| DNF | Juri Hollmann (Ger) Movistar Team | |
| DNF | Michael Gogl (Aut) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| DNF | Alessandro Covi (Ita) Uae Team Emirates | |
| DNF | Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo – Visma | |
| DNF | Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Nor) Team Jumbo – Visma | |
| DNF | Leonardo Basso (Ita) Team Ineos | |
| DNF | Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Ineos | |
| DNF | Christopher Lawless (GBr) Team Ineos | |
| DNF | Owain Doull (GBr) Team Ineos | |
| DNF | Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Movistar Team | |
| DNF | Andreas Nielsen (Den) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| DNS | Alexis Gougeard (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale |