Hello and welcome in Kuurne for the infamous KBK-race! Let’s see if Stallaert can win yet another cobbled race.
We quickly get a break of thirteen riders. On the first cobbled sector of the day, with 155 km to the finish line, they have 1’30” over a peloton led by Bralirwa, Trans, Binance, HelloFresh, Sauber, Amaysim, Carlsberg and Colombini. The names up front are Azerbeidzjan champion Siddikov, Koch, Kreder, Losch, Talacka, Dakteris, Horvat, Nommela, Sbaragli, Verwilst, Silva, Kristoff and Eislers.
Anyone who has been to Geraardsbergen-Bosberg will recognize this climb. Battistella leading the peloton over the climb, as they are 3’30” behind our leaders with 127 km left. Stallaert just punctured, let’s hope for him he doesn’t spill too much energy coming back to the front.
Immediately after is the Bosberg, and at the head of the race it becomes clear guys like Talacka, Losch, Kreder, Eislers and Horvat really don’t like cobbles that much. A peloton of only 75, with superstar Bewley in front, crosses the top at 3’15”.
Aha, some outsiders and or domestiques anticipating, quite early, with 100 km to go. Their names are Resell, Manakov, Vanmarcke, Puccio and Richardson.
93 km left as the eight leaders reach the top of the Bosberg for the second time, with the five chasers around 55” behind. In that group behind, Richardson is having a hard time holding on. Now there will be a long period without cobbles, but apparently a lot of riders are in trouble in the peloton!
Or whatever is left of it! Only 29 riders in the peloton at the top of the Bosberg, at 2’30” of the eight leaders. A group of around 50 riders at one minute of them, will they still come back? In the group of 50 we find Chatarunga, Bush, Van Lerberghe, Van Keirsbulck, Vermeersch, Breen, Kolev and Taubel!
As the four chasers join the eight leaders and make it twelve at the front with 78 km to go, Hnik and Schreurs anticipate as well, needing to bridge a 1’30” group on those twelve men. A superb domestique ride by Bugge, who had been chasing by himself for over ten km, brings most of the outsiders back to the peloton, now existing out of fifty riders.
Eighth cobbled sector of the day with 50 km until the finish line. The twelve leaders have a minute lead over a peloton of 38, with the teams doing most of the work now being Binance, Trans and HelloFresh. In that peloton of 38, the biggest names missing are Schreurs, Van Keirsbulck and Richardson.
Some good news for the leaders, as this should be their last uphill cobbled sector of the day, and at the moment, they still hold a minute lead. The bad news? It’s 2 km long and there are still 40 km to go. Do we see a move in the peloton?
Nope, but the leading group is quickly disintegrating now. We currently have five leaders left: Sbaragli, Kristoff, Nommela, Puccio and Verwilst!
Four cobbled sectors to go, the five leaders have 35” over the peloton with 33 km left. Most of the time reduction can be awarded to HelloFresh, after some great work by the Dutch duo of Riesebeek and Vingerling.
Super domestique Vanspeybrouck making sure the leaders are caught quickly after the cobbled sector. We have a peloton of 47 riders with three cobbled sectors and 30 km to go. Can we see a surprising name take the victory home?
The first out of the three remaining cobbled sectors is by far the hardest with its length of 3.5 km, followed by a small uphill section. HelloFresh screaming Daniel forward now, as domestique Thwaites is setting a heavy pace!
At the end of the cobbled sector and with 22 km to go, Belgian champion Stallaert comes to the front, intimidating his opponents. 23 riders left in this group.
Well inside the final 20 km and 2.5 km away from the penultimate cobbled sector, as Vanbilsen attacks! Trans wants to win Kuurne, and the Belgian knows he won’t be able to win a sprint against Stallaert and the others!
The Belgian champion wanted to react, but was unable to catch the Trans rider! Tactics, or not a great day for him? Domestique Mestric bringing the gap down to 10”, as the group of favourites starts the (short) penultimate cobbled sector with 16 km to the finish line.
Mestric even catches the Trans rider after the cobbled sector, but with 14 km remaining, Vanbilsen attacks again! Can he get away from the group of 23? A quick overview of the names: Thwaites, Marzuki, Stallaert, Schoonbroodt, Mestric, Daniel, De Bondt, Trentin, Bewley, Lampaert, Gamper, Breen, Van Lerberghe, Paprstka, Chatarunga, Bush, Blythe, Fenn, Gaday, Owen, Vermeersch and David.
There are just too many domestiques remaining in the group of favourites. At the start of the final cobbled sector, which is 2.5 km long, the Belgian only has five seconds. Around 10 km to the finish line!
He has a great sprint, but wants to throw some other decent sprinters overboard! Stallaert pushing on the cobbles!
It looked like eleven riders would go into the final 7.5 km together, but a small gap has appeared! The first five riders are Daniel, David, Trentin, Gamper and Stallaert, right behind them are Vanbilsen, Blythe, Bewley, Breen, Fenn and Lampaert!
The pace goes down a bit and Bewley brings the two groups back together! Anybody with a late attack?!
Six more riders are able to join! Chatarunga, Bush, Vermeersch, Schoonbroodt, Owen and Gaday!
Acceleration by Trentin, only Daniel able to follow! Domestique Schoonbroodt giving everything to close the gap, which is 15” with 4 km to go!
And the other favourites come back after a final push by Bush! 17 riders sprinting for glory in Kuurne probably, as there are 2 km to go!
And the sprint starts from far away! Stallaert goes for it under the flamme rouge!
He still leads with half a km left, but Trentin, Bewley and Daniel are coming!
Half a bike lead with 200 metres to go!
And he holds on! Absolutely phenomenal sprint by the Bralirwa rider here, as he denies the old Bewley the win! Daniel joins them on the podium, as Trentin finishes fourth.
Great ride by Vermeersch, finishing fifth for CT’s Staffbase. The other places in the top-10 go to Vanbilsen (6th), David (7th), Bush (8th), Breen (9th) and Fenn. Other riders in this group finish as follows: Chatarunga 11th, Gamper 12th, Gaday 13th, Blythe 14th, Owen 15th, Schoonbroodt 16th and Lampaert 17th.
