Maxim Van Gils (Lotto-Dstny) masterfully controlled the 2024 Eschborn-Frankfurt on a warm day in Germany. After a fiercely contested race, he emerged victorious following a frantic circuit around the German city. Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) found himself boxed in during the sprint and thus couldn't compete at full strength, finishing in fourteenth place.
Whether regarded as a spring classic or not, this edition of Eschborn-Frankfurt certainly left its mark on the season. On May 1st, Labor Day in Germany, the riders faced five hours and two hundred kilometers under the sun. For many, it was either a splendid extension of the spring season or a great start to a new block of racing, as well as a fine interlude.
At 12:05 PM, the riders set off in Eschborn for their race, and immediately, three men successfully broke away: surprisingly including John Degenkolb, normally the lead man for DSM-Firmenich PostNL. Jacopo Mosca (Lidl-Trek teammate of Thibau Nys) and Warre Vangheluwe (Soudal Quick-Step) also joined the local favorite in the breakaway, to which the peloton seemed content to let go.
The trio quickly gained a seven-minute lead, prompting several teams to finally band together: Lotto-Dstny (Van Gils), Alpecin-Deceuninck (Kragh Andersen and Laurance), and UAE-Team Emirates (Hirschi and Politt) each placed a rider at the front of the main group as they approached the hilly zone, including the Mannolshein and Feldberg.
Eenkhoorn and Bax play crucial roles in supporting their leaders Van Gils and Hirschi
While Degenkolb continued to lead, his teammate Kevin Vermaerke – who will also be riding in the Giro – decided to launch an initial probing attack from the back. The remainder of the peloton let the American go, but he soon realized the futility of his attempt. UAE-Team Emirates and Lotto-Dstny then maintained the pace for their leaders, which naturally thinned out the group on the Feldberg.
The first attack on this decisive climb was launched by UAE's young rider Jan Christen, with Emanuel Buchmann, not selected for the Giro, also proving to be very alert. Eventually, a group of about thirty riders crested the top of the Feldberg, after which the race dynamics reset in the long descent from the hill.
In the end, it was Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) who made a move, along with Buchmann. The German and Irish champions worked well together, while their teammates behind did their part to block any chases. However, Sjoerd Bax managed to neutralize their effort with a strong pull at the front.
Christen proves strongest on the climbs
On the Mannolshein, the Dutchman's efforts were not in vain: Christen immediately broke away, while his teammate Marc Hirschi controlled any counterattacks. Consequently, Christen passed the summit with a lead of about fifteen seconds, which he quickly extended to half a minute. In the chasing group of around twenty riders, several teams attempted to close the gap.
As they entered Frankfurt, the 19-year-old's lead visibly diminished, but he persisted. Thus, his lead hovered around a slim ten seconds for a while, but in the last three kilometers, he finally had to yield. From that point, the race was set for a sprint finish with a select group.
Van Gils followed the other teams and surged past competitors Alex Aranburu and Marc Hirschi in the final stretch, securing his victory in Frankfurt. Aranburu finished second for Movistar, ahead of Israel-Premier Tech rider Rhiley Sheehan.
Results Eschborn-Frankfurt 2024
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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