Irish road race cycling champion Rory Townsend achieved the biggest win of his career to date with a victory in the ADAC Cyclassics in Germany on Sunday.
The winner came from the leading group that broke away just a few kilometres into the 207-kilometre race in Hamburg.
Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) had broken away with Dries De Pooter (Intermarché-Wanty), Johan Jacobs (Groupama-FDJ), and Nelson Oliveira (Movistar Team), building a lead of more than five minutes at one point.
They were the first to cross the finish line on Mönckebergstraße. As the race approached the third ascent of the Waseberg, the peloton began to increase the pace significantly. In the following kilometres, the gap began to shrink steadily.
By the final climb, the breakaway’s lead had been reduced to just 20 seconds with 16 kilometres to go. What followed was a nail-biting finale. For a long time, the gap stayed steady, but over the last three kilometres it started to fall.
As the peloton reached Mönckebergstraße, it was just 100 metres behind. It was only enough to catch some of the breakaway, however.
Townsend sprinted as if his life depended on it – and managed to hold off Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) and Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) by the slimmest of margins to give his team a first WorldTour victory.
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