A breakaway of six riders escaped at the start of the race with Silvan Dillier, Ivo Oliveira, Simon Geschke, Luc Wirtgen, Tobias Foss and Piotr Pekala. They had a lead of up to 5 minutes before Belgium and Slovenia accelerated to narrow the gap.
The start of the race saw the rapid abandonment of Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, victim of a fall just over 210 kilometers from the finish. Outsider of this World Cup, the double world champion dislocated his shoulder and was evacuated by ambulance. At the first crossing of the finish line, 188 kilometers from the goal, it was the Spaniard Mikel Landa who in turn dismounted.
The first big movement in the race occurred 120 kilometers from the finish. Following an attack by Jay Vine, ten riders emerged including the Belgian Laurens De Plus, the Slovenian Jan Tratnik but also the Frenchman Pavel Sivakov, the Dane Magnus Cort, the Italian Mattia Cattaneo and the Englishman Kevin Vermaerke. This counter group came back on the six leading men 105 kilometers from the finish.
100 kilometers from the finish, Tadej Pogacar launched his first attack of the day. None of the favorites were on their wheel and only Simmons and Bagioli tried to follow, in vain. With the help of Tratnik, who was present at the front, the Slovenian easily returned to the leading group of 17 riders. Behind, Remco Evenepoel’s teammates were forced to roll.
In the next passage of Bergstrasse, Pogacar attacked and came out with only Pavel Sivakov. Behind Evenepoel tried to get out just like van der Poel but everyone followed and the counter group couldn’t get along.
With 51 kilometers to go, Pogacar decided that it was his moment and left Sivakov behind to take a probable victory. On the counter, Healy and Skujins managed to make the gap and van der Poel tried to come in with Onley but was caught by the rest of the group led by Remco Evenepoel.
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