The Italian Davide Ballerini (Deceuninck) sprinted the 76th edition of the Het Nieuwsblad Circuit, the World Tour event and the opening of the Belgian cycling season, largely hosted by the French Julian Alaphilippe, Saturday in Ninove (north).
After 200.5 km between Ghent and Ninove, via thirteen mountains and nine cobbled sections, Ballerini, 26, has won the most beautiful victory of his career, now rich with seven successes, the third this season after his two victories in the Tour de La Provence.
“This is only my 5th day of racing and I already have three bouquets”, rejoiced Ballerini, namesake of the former rider Franco Ballerini (winner of the event in 1995) with whom he has however no family relationship.
The race was, as often, promised to an adventurer, not to a sprinter.
But the power of the Deceuninck formation locked in a classic which could not escape from the “Wolfpack”, the team of Patrick Lefévère.
Cited among the favorites at the start of the Flandrian event, the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe did honor to his status as world champion by leaving company with the group of strongmen 32 kilometers from the finish, in the Mont du Berendries.
Alaphilippe placed an attack that no one was able to follow but was joined at the foot of the Grammont wall, where a general regrouping took place 16 kilometers from the finish.
A fairly large group showed up in Ninove to compete for victory.
Well led by his teammates, Ballerini won the sprint by outclassing the Briton Jake Stewart and the Belgian Sepp Vanmarcke.
The Belgian Philippe Gilbert signed his return to form by taking 5th place while the first Frenchman, Florian Sénéchal, finished 7th.
“When Julian was joined in Grammont, he encouraged me by saying, 'It's yours now.
You have the legs to do it '', explained Ballerini.
“When a world champion tells you that, it's an incredible boost.
I felt myself growing wings, ”he added.
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