Exact Cross Essen: Laurens Sweeck edges out Niels Vandeputte in close finish

Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) beat Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) at the Exact Cross Essen, beating his countryman to the line after a tense closing duel.

The pair led the race on the final lap after breaking away from an elite lead group, with Vandeputte leading the way into the last section of the circuit. Around the final bend onto the finishing straight, Vandeputte slipped momentarily and didn’t clip into his pedal quickly enough.