Our team rode an impressive race on home soil.
It’s one of the youngest races in Belgium, but the 22nd episode of the 201.2km Bredene Koksijde Classic made up in pure spectacle for what it lacks in tradition, and that’s because Friday’s race was ridden full gas from the very beginning.
Echelons, crazy attacks in the crosswinds, massive accelerations on the Kemmelberg, riders throwing caution to the wind and trying their luck with more than 100 kilometers to go, gutsy moves inside the final kilometers when everything pointed out to a bunch sprint, and a fast and chaotic dash to the line made it a tough but exciting and quite unforgettable day in the saddle.
Soudal Quick-Step, who had a very young team at the start, was present in all the main moves of the day, with the likes of Gil Gelders, Paul Magnier or Pepijn Reinderink, all neo-pros who impressed with the confidence shown, the relentless turns they took at the front of the leading group and the all-out attacks launched from the distance as they tried to prevent the groups scattered all over the road from coming back.
In the final twenty kilometers, the chasers managed to bridge across, but our team remained committed to lighting up the race. Two-time Dwars door Vlaanderen winner Yves Lampaert rode clear with eight kilometers to go, part of a small group from which he then attacked. Joined by only one other rider, Yves left everything out there and kept believing in his chances despite doing all the work alone, but his dreams were shattered a frustrating 1200 meters from the line.
A small bunch sprint decided the victor, who was Luca Mozzato (Arkea-B&B Hotel). Paul Magnier was our first rider to cross the line, just outside the top ten, thanks to a solid turn of legs in the strong headwind, after almost five hours in the saddle.
“We are very proud of the team’s performance. We had a lot of young wolves led by an experienced captain, and they did a great race, despite being hectic and really nervous out there. The guys were always up there, went on the offensive and did their best as they tried several times to make the difference. We deserved more after this race, and even though it’s not the result we wanted, the team’s display today fuels our confidence for the next outings”, said sports director Iljo Keisse.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
