The German rider yelled with joy as he crossed the finish line and several more times afterward as he savored the biggest victory of his career.
In a sprint to win the Bemer Cyclassics, Marco Haller (Bora-Hansgrohe) pulled off a major shock by defeating Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).
Haller used a lead-out from teammate Patrick Konrad to hit out early as they were a part of a five-man effort that made it away to contest the finish.
After Haller shifted to the left and Quinten Hermans (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) grabbed the slipstream, Van Aert, who was racing for the first time since the Tour de France, was left struggling. Though he resisted and went forward, passing Hermans, it was too late to overtake Haller.
These five riders rode all the way to the finish line, with Konrad giving up his spot for the speedier Haller as Bora took advantage of the numerical advantage. In the last kilometer, Konrad gained control. Haller started off on the right before sprinting around the curve to the left.
Hermans surged into the wheel as Van Aert appeared to be caught sleeping for a brief moment. Van Aert was put on the back foot as a result, and despite a valiant comeback, Haller held on for a narrow victory that he celebrated in style.
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