Jordi Meeus fastest in Brussels Cycling Classic
On the Houba de Strooperlaan in Brussels, Jordi Meeus has written the Brussels Cycling Classic to his name. He beat Milan Fretin and Biniam Girmay in the sprint.
At 12. 15 pm, the starting gun sounded in Cinquantenaire Park for the Brussels Cycling Classic. The riders set off for a race of 206 kilometres, in which the notorious trio Muur – Kapelmuur, Bosberg and Congoberg had to be tackled, before returning to Brussels for the finale.
From the start, the peloton kept the tempo high, which neutralised all the attacks. After the first hour, the average speed was exceptionally high at 45 km/h. Nevertheless, a group of five riders managed to break away from the peloton after just over an hour: Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step), Titouan Fontaine (Groupama–FDJ United), Sébastien Grignard (Lotto Intermarché), Henrik Pedersen (Uno-X Mobility), and Marius Mayrhofer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team). Alexys Brunel (TotalEnergies) made his move to the front but remained 44 seconds behind the leading group and was eventually caught again. The five riders at the front extended their lead and built a maximum advantage of 3’43” over the peloton.
On the second ascent of the Bosberg, Mayrhofer could no longer keep up the pace at the front. Entering the final local loop in Geraardsbergen, the breakaway’s lead had narrowed to 2’22”. The final ascent of the Muur-Kapelmuur caused an acceleration in the peloton, creating small splits at the summit. Jordi Meeus (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe) and Tom Crabbe (Team Flanders – Baloise) were the biggest names missing from the first peloton. By then, the lead of the four riders in front shrunk to barely 1’02”.
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At 54 km from the finish, Fontaine dropped out of the leading group. In the background, the first and second pelotons regrouped, led by Team Flanders - Baloise. With a 53” lead over a thinned-out peloton, the trio at the front entered the final 30 km. Cofidis and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe took up the chase in the peloton. At 15 km, the three remaining riders of the breakaway were caught.
Despite several late attacks by, among others, Jonas Abrahamsen and Erik Resell (Uno-X Mobility), the peloton entered the final kilometer together. Danny van Poppel launched the sprint 300 meters from the finish, after which Meeus sped past him to claim the victory. Milan Fretin (Cofidis) and Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling Team) crossed the line in second and third place.
