Cycling After the Omloop het Nieuwsblad was Zdenek Stybar in Harelbeke again the strongest of the pack. In the shadow of the Forestierstadion was the Czech composer in a sprint with five faster than Wout van Aert and Greg Van Avermaet. Again, a real putsch of Deceuninck Quick.Step, after Bob Jungels on the road appeared to be the victory. Jungels was in full final to be played. The formation of manager Patrick Lefevere drew the map of Zdenek Stybar and also with a plan B that worked.
“It was a strange race for me. The last hundred kilometres, I have really apart,” said Stybar. “It was not really good. I was also still at the back of the gang. Not really my habit to be so quotes. I did everything I could to to get back in the front to get to the hotel and when we Karnemelkbeekstraat approached, I gave Bob Jungels the board to attack. I knew that that nasty slope to him. Bob took off and seemed like a whole day on the way to the victory. From the Paterberg, I remained attentive to drive and everything in it to keep an eye on.”
Eventually, it was Jungels, 7 km away from the place seized. He received the companionship of Stybar, that not a lot of forces had lost “I tried in the last few kilometres to go, but that did not work. When I told Bob that he his last energy in a new failure had to cross. Maybe they would be able to drive. That was not the case, and in the sprint I could get to my hand.”
The E3 Harelbeke is a measure of value for the Tour of Flanders next Sunday. “It seems tradition that the winner of the E3 Harelbeke, also the favourite for the Tour of Flanders. It would definitely be nice, I had also win. Today I have demonstrated that I am not so bad, I’m busy. I meanwhile won the Omloop het Nieuwsblad, but the Tour of Flanders that is really something special. And then comes Paris-Roubaix. Actually, what is added is an extra bonus.”
