Three riders in the top ten for Soudal Quick-Step U19 Saturday afternoon.
Simon Defrance is in red-hot form these weeks and doesn’t waste any time showing it. Victorious in his first race of the season - Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne - just two weeks ago, the 17-year-old claimed another success on Belgian soil, this time at the tenth edition of Nokere Koerse.
Nine hills and around two dozen cobblestone segments were spread out across over 130 kilometers of racing between Deinze and Nokere. It was an action-packed day in Belgium, but the first big moment of the race came with 50 kilometers to go, when seven men, including three of our squad, accelerated and opened a gap. Behind, our other riders made sure of closing down attacks, which helped the front group extend their buffer.
Twenty kilometers from the finish, Simon Defrance attacked from that move with Daan Wilmsen (Crabbé-Dstny U19), and the two worked well together, entering the closing kilometer with a ten-second gap. In the final 150 meters, Defrance showed the remarkable turn of legs he can produce after a hard race, just like he did a fortnight ago, and outsprinted the Belgian on the uphill drag to the line to become the first French winner of the one-day race.
Another fantastic victory that leaves me speechless!
“I had incredibly strong teammates today, and we did a really amazing race. I want to thank the whole squad, as they have been truly incredible with the way they have supported me since I joined them. It is hard to believe I’ve already won my second UCI race of the year; it’s simply unbelievable and I want enjoy this moment”, said Simon, who was joined in the top ten of Nokere Koerse by two teammates: Vic De Smet (4th) and Valentin Petillon (7th).
Photo credit: ©Robbe Martens / Danilith Nokere Koerse
