Dylan van Baarle went solo to win the first classic of the season on Saturday at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Arnaud De Lie won a sprint for second place after recovering impressively from a crash, while another Jumbo man Christophe Laporte came third.
Van Baarle won Paris-Roubaix in 2022 and was second at the World Championships in 2021.
On Saturday he attacked from distance after the penultimate climb, and crossed the line with his arms wide open some 20 seconds ahead of a fast-moving pursuit posse.
Tom Pidcock was amongst that group, whose combined strengths was not enough to reel in the relentless Dutchman taking his debut Jumbo-Visma win.
“I went for it when everyone was struggling,” said Van Baarle. “I saw a moment. It was quite a hard section of the race, so I decided to go.”
“Van Baarle was just the best today,” explained Team UAE man Tim Merlier. “We knew we were never going to catch him from about 40km out.”
No stopping Dylan Van Baarle today in #OHN23! ? In the background, Arnaud De Lie ?and Christophe Laporte ?sprint to a podium place. #OHNmen pic.twitter.com/sXUgozXR87
— Omloop Nieuwsblad (@OmloopHNB) February 25, 2023
