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The 253.6km race over 32 climbs of the hilly Limburg region saw a race of attrition.
The breakaway was brought back early and from the resulting attack to go clear again, there was a strong group of 16 that included race favourites Tadej Pogačar and Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) jumping ahead of the peloton with 90 kilometres left in the race.
The front group's advantage hovered between 20 and 50 seconds before Pogačar had to stop to swap bikes, managing to recatch his breakaway companions with impressive ease on the next climb before attacking away soon after with 36 kilometres to the finish.
Only Pidcock was able to initially respond, with Ben Healy (EF Education-Easypost) joining the pair at the head of affairs. They cooperated to keep the chasers at bay, but it was only a stay of execution from Pogačar as the Slovenian launched a withering attack on the toughest climb of the day, the Keutenberg, with 28 kilometres left to ride.
Pidcock and Healy combined to try and chase him down, and when Healy dropped Pidcock with a powerful attack, he was able to bring Pogačar's lead back to a tenuous advantage, but the two-time Tour de France champion redoubled his efforts and stretched out the lead again, winning solo comfortably at the finish in Valkenburg.
Healy crossed the line in second, 38 seconds behind, with a tiring Pidcock just holding on to finish third, 2:14 down on Pogačar.
“I did not expect that we’d go in the breakaway so early, and I was on a sort of flat tyre for many (kilometres) in the front and I was doubting I could come to the finish solo,” said Pogačar.
“I was really frustrated because we didn’t have cars for such a long time, but we managed to get the bike just in time before the final climbs. It was really tight, and really nervous at one moment.”
Pogačar revealed that he had been advised on where to attack by former Amstel Gold Race winner and rival Mathieu van der Poel.
“Mathieu van der Poel told me I should go on the Keutenberg. It is the hardest climb and it suits me the most,” Pogačar said. “He told me that three days ago, he sent me a message. I will thank him for the advice.”
The best-placed Australian on the day was Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe) in eleventh. The Giro d'Italia winner had been in the peloton behind Pogačar but led an elite group of chasers behind.
