We’re used to seeing Zdenek Stybar thrust his arms skywards at the end of a cyclo-cross race, but today was the first time we’d witnessed his celebrations on the road.
The Czech rider, twice a world cyclo-cross champion, turned his thoughts to the tarmac only last season, and this year had only tasted shared victory in the team time trial at Tirreno-Adriatico.
Stybar, so unlucky at Paris-Roubaix, when a spectator stepped in his way after he had broken clear of an elite leading group, today left nothing to fortune.
Having distanced defending champion, Lars Boom (Belkin Pro Cycling), Stybar had only Lampre-Merida’s Ariel Richese to contend with in the run to the line.
The Omega Pharma-Quickstep rider produced a sprint that would surely have won the approval of team leader, Mark Cavendish, to get the job done.
Relive the action through this gallery of images from official UCI WorldTour photographer, Stefano Sirotti.
