Stybar Snatches The Eneco Tour

Last updated : 18 August 2013 By Covsupport News Service

Zdenek Stybar of Omega Pharma Quick Step won the Eneco Tour by snatching victory on the final stage.

Stybar had gone in to the final 208km stage from Tienen to Geraardsbergen,nine seconds down on Argo Shimano's Tom Dumoulin.

He was not in the main break which comprised of British rider Ian Stannard of Team Sky, Andre Greipel (Lotto), Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack), Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team), Manuele Boaro (Team Saxo-Tinkoff), Julian Kern (Ag2R La Mondiale), Ruben Perez Moreno (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team).

A lead of 5.30 had dropped to 1.55 when Ian Stannard and Andre Greipel shot off the front with less than fifty kilometres remaining. Ligthart sussed the move and was able to tag on as the trio took a thirty second lead over what was left of the break and 1.48 ahead of the group including the race leader seventeeen kilometres later.

Ian Stannard dropped Greipel on the Bosberg climb and with 20 kilometres to go, went a minute clear of a group now containing Kelderman, Oss and Chavanel.

The peloton had re-grouped but Ian Stannard was still leading going into the final ten kilometres.

With six to go, Zdenek Stybar caught Stannard and the pair worked together until the final few hundred metres when Stannard kicked but Stybar got past him and took the victory in 5.00.03, four seconds ahead of Stannard, tweleve ahead of Belkin's Lars Boom and fourteen ahead of BMC's Manuel Quinziato. 

Tom Dumolin came in with the peloton some twenty five seconds down and the overall race victory belonged to Zdenek Stybar who won by a margin of 26 seconds from Dumolin.

Ian Stannard finished 18th with Bradley Wiggins 91st.