Team Jumbo-Visma’s Dylan Van Baarle has won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2023. In a 207.3-kilometer intense race on the roads of Belgium from Gent to Ninove, Van Baarle impressively attacked solo with 40 kilometers to go and no other rider was able to catch him.

Van Baarle had been lost at the back of the peloton just before the key part of the race was about to commence, but Van Baarle impressively managed to find his way back to the front, even despite having dropped his chain at one point. Van Baarle’s teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck delivered an intense pull up the steep Molenberg climb before Van Baarle took off on the cobbles.

“Obviously it is super great to take the victory. There is no better way to start in a new team and the boys were super good, so I can’t thank them enough,” Van Baarle told Roadcycling.com after crossing the finish line. Van Baarle moved to Jumbo-Visma from Ineos-Grenadiers during the winter break. Van Baarle rode five seasons for Team Sky and Ineos-Grenadiers.

Van Baarle said he had only been optimistic about his chances of winning in the final kilometers. He had been unable to establish radio contact with his Jumbo-Visma race car but had found comfort in the fact that the race cars remained behind him and that race officials had not ordered them to pull further back.

Lotto-Dstny’s Arnaud De Lie remarkably won the bunch sprint for second place in his debut Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. De Lie crossed the finish line ahead of Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team).

20-year-old De Lie of Belgium was thrilled with his result in today’s race and the runner-up finish was even more remarkable because De Lie was involved in a crash on the cobbles approximately fifty kilometers from the finish.

“I am really happy with this second place in the Omloop, I really had a great day. I can’t be disappointed with my first WorldTour podium at the age of twenty. Last year, I was still watching this race on television, to be up there on the Muur at the very front, is just incredible,” a proud De Lie told Roadcycling.com.

“It was a constant battle for the best position, I took the turn a bit too wide and hit the deck with 50 kilometers to go. But I remained calm and counted on my strong teammates to bring me back to the bunch. This way I could begin the Molenberg in really good position. On the Muur it was all about the power and I could bridge towards the Wellens-Mohoric duo. To be climbing such an iconic hill like the Muur at the very front gave me goosebumps. Van Baarle was really strong and at the end, I gave it my all to finish second, I didn’t want to give that podium place away,” De Lie explained.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for more 2023 spring classics racing.