Starting from third place, de Vries captured a strong getaway to make his way down the inside of second-placed Robin Frijns but, as polesitter Mortara left the door slightly ajar into the first corner, de Vries took the opportunity to go for the lead.
The opportunism paid off for de Vries, who picked up first early on and allowed him to dictate the pace of the reversed race around the Tempelhof Airport, showing good energy management skills in the process.
