Soudal Quick-Step was active in the closing kilometers of Friday’s stage.
The five-day race continued in North Rhine-Westphalia with a stage from Herford to Arnsberg. Over 190 demanding kilometers and plenty of challenges are on the agenda of this stage which many were hoping would bring some changes to the general classification.
Until the final 15 kilometers it looked like that wouldn't be the case, as the breakaway was easily reeled in and the peloton looked in control of things, but the dynamic of the finale altered thanks to the presence of a small but steep hill, where the peloton exploded. Around a dozen riders extricated themselves from the bunch, including Pascal Eenkhoorn and former Deutschland Tour winner Ilan Van Wilder. The two Soudal Quick-Step riders were prominent there, helping the group open a gap that opened proved to be decisive in the outcome
From that small group, three riders went clear with a few kilometers to go, and Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates) took the victory in the sprint. The chasers finished a couple of seconds behind, and Eenkhoorn – who has shown a strong form this week – continued to remain Soudal Quick-Step’s best placed rider in the general classification, where the gaps are still small with two stages to go.
Photo credit: ©Christian Kaspar-Bartke / Getty Images
