UAE Team Emirates-XRG‘s Sebastian Molano took the biggest one-day victory of his career in Belgium, clinching victory in a photo finish with Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) at the end of the 195.6-kilometre Classic Brugge-De Panne.
The Emirati team were active throughout the day with Antonio Morgado stretching his legs ahead of the weekend cobbled classics to infiltrate the early breakaway, which would stay clear until inside -10km to go.
Crashes would play a big role in the final section of the race, with many of the sprinting favourites hitting the tarmac on the hectic run-in.
Molano would emerge as one of the survivors and seized his opportunity with a massive early sprint at 500m to go and holding off to take his first win of the year.
Commenting on his win, Molano expressed his happiness with this victory, noting that the final stage was extremely fast and dangerous, and he struggled to maintain his lead. He added that this was his first win of the season and the greatest victory he had achieved in a one-day race.
Meanwhile, at the Volta a Catalunya, UAE Team Emirates-XRG‘s Juan Ayuso took his 5th victory of the season following an exciting sprint dual against Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) at the summit finish at La Molina on stage 3.
The pair crossed the line shoulder-to-shoulder, with Ayuso finally awarded the win and now moves into to the leaders jersey ahead of stage 4.
