Just three kilometers later, with 17km to the finish, De Bondt and the Cofidis rider, who had been in a breakaway for nearly 130km, were the first to be reeled in.
At the same time, the remaining Israel-Premier Tech and Wanty Cyclist saw their lead shrink to just 20 seconds.
It was clear just how fast the Jumbo Team was when they took full control of the chase.
The race proceeded relatively smoothly after that. With just 7km to go, the last two breakaway riders, who had been out front for nearly 140km, were also swallowed up by the peloton. The group once again stretched into the long, single-file line seen at the start.
Huang Chong and Brother Xiaoma were still at the back of the peloton. But at the 3km mark, seeing the sprint trains of Alpecin and Bahrain forming and pushing to the front, he quickly said to Brother Xiaoma:
