Rory Townsend went in a 200km breakaway, was the only rider to make it all the way, and still had a really strong sprint at the finish (Photo: Szymon Gruchalski-Cor Vos)

Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) has taken the biggest win of his career, and his first win in a World Tour race, at the Cyclassics Hamburg after going in the 200km breakaway and proving the only rider to make it all the way.

In the closing kilometres of the 207km race, Townsend and two other escapees were dangling off the front a matter of seconds ahead of the reduced peloton.

And though some of the biggest teams in the world, working for many of cycling’s fastest sprinters, were breathing down their necks, Townsend opened his gallop early in the finishing straight and his renowned sprint was enough to secure the win.

Incredibly, the riders behind him got to his back wheel on the line, finishing on the same time as Townsend, though the 30-year-old Irish road race champion hung on to win, and was in disbelief as he crossed the line.

He topped the podium from Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) for a famous win and by far the biggest of his career.

Townsend was up the road in a group of four for 200km – gaining five minutes at one point. In a mark of how strong he was today, when the Irish champion left his breakaway companions, by opening his sprint with 400m to go, the gap between him and the front of the chasing pack got a little bigger.

De Lie was at the head of that pack, furiously sprinting in a bid to catch Townsend and take the victory from him. But the Irish rider was simply too strong and too fast and has captured a dream win on a career-defining day.

Townsend got away in the breakaway with  Dries De Pooter (Intermarché-Wanty), Johan Jacobs (Groupama-FDJ) and Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), building their lead to almost five minutes.

They still had an advantage of three minutes after they had completed three laps, featuring the Waseberg climb, with 60km to go. That climb was revisited twice more in the final 30km of the race, where De Pooter was dropped from the breakaway leaving just three up front.

Though the breakaway’s lead was just over 40 seconds with 15km to go, there had been attacks in the bunch on the final two passages on the climb. That trimmed the group right back but also interrupted its pursuit of the three leaders.

When the breakaway men reached the final kilometre, they had just 10 seconds, with the charging bunch in with a very good chance of making the catch. However, as the peloton closed right in, Oliveira and Jacobs were finished and got swallowed up.

But Townsend still had plenty left; opening a sprint a long way out as his two breakaway companions went backwards. The Irish champion took a remarkable win; Townsend’s first victory in a World Tour race and also his team’s first win at that level.

Another incredible final km!! One guy from the breakaway makes it to the line and it’s the Irish champ Rory Townsend who takes the biggest win of his career, just fending off the storming bunch! Crazy! 🔥🔥🔥 #ADACCyclassicshttps://t.co/oBfKWympy8 pic.twitter.com/DhGIP89GtA

— Eemeli (@LosBrolin) August 17, 2025