Elia Viviani wins Hamburg's EuroEyes Cyclassics for the second year in a row
Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) repeated his victory in the EuroEyes Cyclassics race in Hamburg, out-sprinting Arnaud Démare and Alexander Kristoff
The main break of the day was reeled in with 18kms to go and then the attacks started, but the sprinter's team reeled them all back in with just 4 kms to go.
In the finale, Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) sprinted first, but had to settle for second place as Viviani powered round him with Kristoff coming over the line in third place.
The race saw five riders establish a breakaway which built up a lead of over 3 minutes, but as the number of climbs increased they were caught with just 18 kms to go.
A small crash brought Pascal Ackermann down in the final 2 km, not bad enough for the top sprinters to contest the final sprint.
"I went 400 meters from the finish in the Sprint. I had good legs and was confident enough to be able to make it. That has paid off", said a happy Elia Viviani. "I'm in the best season of my life. The everything looks so simple, but it isn't. My victory was the start of a really good year last year. Great, that here the circle closes."
Over 15,000 Cyclists tackle EuroEyes Jedermann
At 22 degrees celsius and sunshine in the early morning around 15,100 tackled one of three routes 60, 100 and 160km in one of Europe's largest amateur cycle races. Some 14,500 of them reached the finish in the Mönckebergstraße.
"A fabulous weekend in cycling. Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein have proved that they are a great place for the EuroEyes CYCLASSICS. We are now - with the feedback of the participants – a terrific on the 25 August 2019 on the legs to make us event for the 24th Edition", said organiser Oliver Schiek.
Overall, about 500,000 visitors visited the EuroEyes CYCLASSICS weekend on the exhibition grounds as well as along the route.
VIDEO: 2018 EuroEyes Cyclassics Final Kilometres
2018 EuroEyes Cyclassics Top 10
1 Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 4:46:02
2 Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
3 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
4 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
5 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott
6 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:01
7 Sacha Modolo (Ita) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale
8 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb
9 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
10 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe