Zimmermann denies Pidcock in breathless edition of Eschborn-Frankfurt

German champion Georg Zimmermann (Lotto Intermarché) sprinted to a dramatic victory in Eschborn-Frankfurt ahead of Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) and Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike) as the late break of twelve riders just about held off the chasing peloton in a breathless edition of the race.

The key move came on the final ascent of Mammolshain with 36km remaining, where Tulett and Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) accelerated, and Pidcock responded with intent.

A group of twelve formed over the top, and they would speed towards Frankfurt, clutching a lead of 30 seconds over a chasing group of 30 or so riders.

The escapees looked destined to hold on for victory when they hit the final local lap with 6km to go with a lead of 27 seconds over the bunch, but they risked frittering their advantage away as their collaboration decreased on the approach to the finish.

Zimmermann had teammate Simone Gualdi for company in the winning move, and that allowed him to sit on in the closing kilometres. He then produced a crisp sprint to hit the front, and he held off Pidcock, Tulett and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) to take the fifth win of his career and Lotto Intermarché’s first WorldTour victory since their merger during the off-season.

The race was animated by a long-range effort from Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who attacked from the peloton with Emiel Verstrynge (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Jamie Meehan (Cofidis) with over 80km to go, quickly bridging across to the early break.

Only Verstrynge could resist Wellens’ subsequent attack with 60km to go, and that duo entered the final 50km with half a minute in hand on the peloton. The race would ignite on the third and final ascent of the Mammolshain, where Wellens dropped Verstrynge.

The Belgian champion’s time alone at the head of the race would be short-lived, however, as Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) attacked from the bunch, catching and passing Wellens.

An acceleration from Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) saw the front group swell to twelve riders over the top, with the Briton, Tulett and Baudin joined by Natnael Tesfatsion (Movistar), Felix Engelhardt (Jayco AlUla), Adriá Pericas (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Michael Valgren (EF), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Georg Zimmermann, Simone Gualdi (Lotto Intermarché), Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) and Florian Stork (Tudor).

The twelve leaders hit the final 10km with a lead of 30 seconds over the peloton, where Ineos and Soudal Quick-Step took up the reins in a desperate bid to bring it back for a bunch sprint. When the break passed the finish line for the first time still with 27 seconds in hand, it seemed clear that they would fight it out for the honours.