Healy on the attack at Eschborn-Frankfurt, Rafferty strong | Video

Ben Healy was on the attack on the climbs at Eschborn-Frankfurt (1.UWT), where Sam Bennett was a non-finisher after a recent break from racing action (Photo: Marco Alpozzi)

Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) went on the attack on the climbs at Eschborn-Frankfurt (1.UWT) today, when his team mate Darren Rafferty made the front group, which was reduced to just 35 riders.

Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) was among a number of the sprinters - also including Caleb Ewan (Jayco-AlUla) and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) - to be distanced by the field after several teams made sure to shake them off.

Bennett, in his comeback race after a month away from competitive action, was among the non-finishers, in a race he won in a bunch sprint two years ago, though today's outing was made much harder by the manner of the riding.

The sprint for victory from the much-reduced peloton was won by Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny) from Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) and Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech). Healy's and Rafferty's team mate, neo pro Lukas Nerurkar, took a strong 4th place.

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Rafferty ended the race in 33rd place, in the 35-rider bunch sprinting for victory, with Healy placing 74th at 5:18 after his earlier efforts to get up the road.

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Healy chose one of the hardest sections of the race, on the climbs with about 65km to go, to attack off the front and went clear in a strongman's breakaway with a number of others. Joining him on the attack were Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe) and Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates).

They were jumping on the Feldberg after the last of the early breakaway had been caught. Healy and Buchmann pressed on up and over the climb, lasting out front for almost 15km before being caught.

Much of the race was dictated by the pace set by UAE Team Emirates and Lotto-Dstny, with those two teams clearly intent on making the day as hard as possible to drop the sprinters.

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