The organizer’s favourites for the race are pretty similar to those in the official preview, just Bohli wasn’t mentioned before.
The first attacks are launched right from the start and result in a group of 13 about a minute in front of the peloton. The group consists of Medvedev, Sajnok, Koch and Vangheluwe, Laton, Orosco and Kusi, Van Dijke, Waersted, Pickrell, Huppertz, Juneau and Bakke Christophersen.
The peloton fights hard to don’t let the group go, but 45 km into the race and the first cobbled sectors ridden the chasers finally let the group get away.
With 125 km to go the break splits into to groups with only Bakke Christophersen, Pickrell, Huppertz, Koch and Van Dijke still in front.
In the peloton there has been a split too, the most notable names on the wrong side of the split are Bohli, Girmay and Okbamariam.
race situation – 125 km to go
group 1
<---
group 2
<---
peloton
<---
group 4
30’’
4’02’’
1’22’’
In the following kilometers the former chasing group of the break falls to pieces and reorganizes. The result are again two groups, but now Vangheluwe, Orosco and Kusi have joined the first group. The peloton has reformed too and consists of 112 riders, with all the best cobblers from the former split back in the pack.
race situation – 100 km to go
group 1
<---
group 2
<---
peloton
1’04’’
1’58’’
The next cobbled sectors once again split the remains of the break, resulting in the same group of 5 that proved strongest before: Bakke Christophersen, Pickrell, Huppertz, Koch and Van Dijke. Kusi is the only chaser left from the break with all of his former companions already swept up by the peloton of 102. But there has been an attack on the flats 75 km to the finish and a group consisting of Breen, Y. Havik and Sh. Kuroeda has been able to create a small gap. Given their skills the peloton surely can’t be happy with them getting away.
With 60 km to go we’re in a hilly part with the main cobbled sections still ahead. The group of 5 is still in front, the 3 attackers have created a serious gap to the peloton where others attacked too, resulting in Girmay and Bewley creating a substantial gap. That’s another interesting pair of riders, a legend of the sport and one of his potential successors.
race situation – 60 km to go
group 1
<---
group 2
<---
group 3
<---
peloton
58’’
34’’
38’’
Some kilometers later the first three groups have come together and are now about 2 minutes in front of the peloton while arriving at the decisive part of the route with a constant mix of hills and cobbled sectors. There are some dangerous riders at the front, so the peloton will have to quickly reduce the gap or it’ll get quite hard to get the group back at all.
Another hill done and the group is split into three while going up the last bigger (and cobbled) hill:
race situation – 41 km to go
group 1
<---
group 2
<---
group 3
<---
peloton (79 riders)
Girmay
22’’
Breen
54’
Pickrell
39’’
Bewley
Y. Havik
Huppertz
Van Dijke
Sh. Kuroeda
Koch
Bakke Christophersen
The peloton indeed sped up as no 10 kilometers further all but the first 3 have been caught by the peloton while some of the big names begin to attack. Right now Debesay, Summerhill and Van Keirsbulck have a small gap over the peloton, but as the longest paved sectors are still to come nothing is decided yet.
And with 25 km to go all riders (or at least 62 of them) are back together to tackle the longest cobbled sector. The only notable rider not in that group is former escapee Kuroeda.
The sector was ridden fast, but without an attack. The peloton was heavily reduced nonetheless and right after the sector the big names attack! It’s a trio of Spengler, Stallaert and Van Hooydonck that tries to get away and as the rest of the peloton is down to 21 riders this move could be decisive.
And it really seems to be a decisive! With 14 km (and one cobbled sector) to go the three have a lead of 47’’ over their chasers. Given they’re among the best cobblers in the race it’ll need a big effort to reel them back in. But as Spengler and Van Hooydonck are equally bad sprinters they will have to get rid of Stallaert or it will easily be his fourth win in Kuurne. The alternative would be to let him do all the work, but that could indeed end with the group losing momentum and the chasers coming back.
The three enter the final sector with 10 km to go, led by Spengler. The chasers are down to just over a minute, so the podium should be secured for the three guys ahead.
Van Hooydonck attacked and only Stallaert could follow. Those two quickly establish a lead of about half a minute over Spengler. There has been a split between the chasers too with Theuns, Summerhill, Moulingui, Gamper, Ringheim, Debesay and Daniel the first chasers now.
The two leaders are already on the final straight. It should be an easy win for Stallaert now. Spengler’s down 47’’ now and has a lead of only 26’’ over the now 11 chasers – and he looks pretty much spend. Chatarunga, Jacobs, Lampaert and Zepuntke have joined the chasing group that still could fight for the final podium spot now.
Van Hooydonck launched his sprint with more than a kilometer to go with the hope to surprise his opponent, but Stallaert takes the lead nearly instantly.
Van Hooydonck already gives up with 700 meters still to go and Stallaert cruises home to his threepeat and fourth win overall in what only could be called his favourite race. In the background you can see that Spengler has been caught and is only able to watch the fight for third place.
With 700 meters to go Theuns seems to be the strongest of the chasers as he already has got a solid lead over Debesay, Summerhill and Daniel.
And it is Theuns who gets third place! He’s followed by Debesay and Summerhill.
Next in line are Ringheim in 6th and Gamper in 7th, followed by Jacobs, Daniel who faded in the sprint and Zepuntke, who beats Moulingui in a photo finish for the last place in the top 10. Spengler has fallen to 12th place right before the first three riders of CT teams with Lampaert, Chatarunga and Trentin who rounds up the top 15.
[C1] Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne 
