Tim Wellens wins frenetic De Brabantse Pijl 2018

Tim Wellens attacked in the last 10km and stayed clear over the final climb to win a poignant De Brabantse Pijl, the first race after the death of Michael Goolaerts.
Tim Wellens salutes Michael Goolaerts
Photo credit: nieuws.vtm.be
Wellens (Lotto Soudal) attacked the front group with 7.7km to go and had a comfortable advantage as he came to the flat section after the Schavei climb, and rolled over the line pointing to the sky in tribute to Goolaerts.

 Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) won the battle for second, followed by Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal), Pieter Serry (Quick-Step Floors) and Jan Tratnik (CCC).

The Race

Verandas Willems Crelan led the peloton through the neutral zone in tribute to Michael Goolaerts who passed away on Sunday night following a cardiac arrest at Paris-Roubaix.

 Calvin Watson (Aqua Blue Sport), Tyler Williams (Israel Cycling Academy), Eduard Michael Grosu (Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini), Elmar Reinders (Roompot), Dries De Bondt (Verandas Willems Crelan), Antoine Warnier (WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic) and Andrea Peron (Novo Nordisk) took up the task of making the breakaway and established a seven minute gap. 

 With fewer than 90km of racing to go the advantage was back down to under three minutes as the peloton organised itself in anticipation for the business end of the stage.

 On the second lap of four round Overijse, the gap was close to a minute as the chasers increased the intensity and the break began to be worn down by the constant up and down parcours.

 Lotto Soudal smashed the race to bits with 60km to go as Grosu attacked the breakaway. Within two kilometres the break's gap was demolished and Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto Soudal) and Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott) jumped from the peloton. 

 With the added impetus of two new riders the breakaway was re-established and the gap went back out to 40-seconds and BMC Racing, Quick-Step and Bahrain-Merida assumed control of pace making in the peloton.

 The main bunch went full gas from 46km to 36km to go trying to catch the breakaway, and while most of the group didn't have much fight left, Van der Sande and Haig were strong enough to stay away. With the breakaway sufficiently reduced, the pair settled into a consistent 30-second advantage.

 Colbrelli sparked the race in the last 18km on the Helderstraat climb, taking a select group of around 15 riders with him.

 The Colbrelli group were rejoined by the second chasing group a few kilometres later and Van der Sande and Haig's gap had collapsed to little more than 15-seconds.

 The pair were caught soon after and Wellens made the race defining move with 7.7km to go, jumping off the front of an select attacking group.

 Wellens - who won the Ruta del Sol in February - exhibited his strong form as he increased his lead to 20-seconds over the Ijskelderlaan and Schavei climbs into Overijse, while the chasing group struggled to work together.

 The Belgian had time to slowly roll over the line with the chasing pack fighting for second place a couple hundred metres behind. 

De Brabantse Pijl Result

1. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) in 4:42:48
2. Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) at 9"
3. Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) 
4. Pieter Serry (Quick-Step Floors) 
5. Jan Tratnik (CCC) 
6. Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty Group Gobert)
7. Dylan Teuns (BMC Racing) all same time
8. Huub Duijn (Verandas Willems Crelan) at 12"
9. Thomas Sprenger (Sport Vlaanderen) at 14"
10. Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) same time

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