Tratnik surprises with late attack to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Tratnik (Team Visma Lease a Bike) escaped with Nils Politt and beat the German in the sprint. Teammate Wout van Aert sprinted to third place.

Jan Tratnik won the 2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. For a long time, a leading group of six, with three men from Visma | Lease a Bike, looked to be fighting for victory, but a large group came back to the front in the finale. Tratnik escaped with Nils Politt and beat the German in the sprint. 

It was on the steeper slopes of the Wolvenberg that Visma | Lease a Bike pushed on to drop a lot of riders from the 20 odd breakway. The breakaway then included three from Visma: Wout van Aert, Christophe Laporte and Matteo Jorgensen along with Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Toms Skujinš (Lidl-Trek) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny).

Tratnik's win saved the day for Visma-Lease a Bike. With three riders in a lead group of six but allowed the peloton to come back. Tratnik attacked and only Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirate) responded with teammate Wout Van Aert letting him go. Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) chased the pair who's staying away wasn't guaranteed, with the peloton in sight behind.

Politt finished second after doing the majority of the work to keep the chasing group at bay, but then had nothing left for the sprint. Wout van Aert sprinted to third place.

The Leberg and the Lange Munte were the only difficulties in thie first 100 km of the 202 km race. Then the climbs come one after the other. The Katteberg and the cobbles of the Holleweg were first on the menu, then the Haaghoek-Leberg, Paddestraat, Hostellerie and Valkenberg next.

With 45 kilometres to go, the race was brutal, the Wolvenberg,  cobbles of the Holleweg and the Kerkgate and Jagerij follow. The Molenberg has been missing in recent years but was back again. Then the Haaghoek, Leberg and Berendries. From the top of the steep Berendries there was only 27.5 kilometres to the finish in Ninove. A few kilometres later there wass the Vossenhol, after which there was a short break before the most famous climb in Flanders: the Muur van Geraardsbergen. This iconic cobbled climb was just 16 kilometres from the finish. Finally the Bosberg with 12 kilometres to go and slightly uphill finish line in Ninove.

Highlights: 2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Top 10

1  TRATNIK Jan Team Visma | Lease a Bike 4:31:27
2  POLITT Nils UAE Team Emirates 0:03
3  VAN AERT Wout Team Visma | Lease a Bike 0:08
4  NAESEN Oliver Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 0:08
5  LAPORTE Christophe Team Visma | Lease a Bike 0:08
6  REX Laurenz Intermarché - Wanty 0:08
7  STUYVEN Jasper Lidl - Trek 0:08
8  PIDCOCK Thomas INEOS Grenadiers 0:08
9  TRENTIN Matteo Tudor Pro Cycling Team 0:08
10  DE LIE Arnaud Lotto Dstny 0:08