A strong dash from a seven-rider breakaway has netted Benoit Cosnefroy a powerful victory in De Brabantse Pijl, succeeding his teammate Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale Dorion Godon as winner of the mid-week Belgian Classic.
Cosnefroy crossed the road with a cushty benefit forward of Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) and former winner Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates).
After a quick and livid opening phase of the hilly, cobbled one-day race in central Belgium failed to supply any breakaways with a bonus greater than two minutes, Wellens, Teuns and Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) lastly eked out a minimal hole within the remaining 35 kilometres.
Joined by 4 extra riders because the end and remaining climb of twenty-two brief punchy ascents, approached, Van den Berg tried a long-distance assault, solely to be caught 500 metres from the road.
Teuns’ younger teammate Joseph Blackmore led out the dash, just for Cosnefroy to return previous and clinch his fourth win of the season.
“I’m more than happy lastly to get this,” Cosnefroy, 3 times a podium finisher in Brabantse Pijl however solely a winner for the primary time in 2024, stated afterwards. “I made a gesture [pointing at the ground] like that as a result of I really feel like this can be a second dwelling for me.
“It’s by no means straightforward to win a race, however I had good legs this morning. I felt like I used to be one of many favourites. But after I obtained within the group of seven, it was splendid for me, and when Van den Berg tried to go clear, I used to be really happy as a result of I believed—nice, that’s one much less rider for the dash.
“In the ultimate, I obtained on Dylan’s wheel as a result of I knew he was the quickest of these left, and when he went for it, I used to be nervous that he might need obtained it. But there was a headwind, and I may discover a bit extra to return previous him.”
How it unfolded
Perhaps the 2024 race was held on a barely simpler course, with three ascents and 15 kilometres lower than in 2023, or maybe it was due to the hotter climate and the absence of a standout favorite within the begin checklist. Whatever the rationale, the 63rd version of De Brabantse Pijl obtained off to a sizzlingly quick begin, and the tempo subsequently by no means stopped all the best way to the end at Overisje.
For effectively over an hour, nothing like a stable break emerged. Then even after Jordi Warlop (Soudal-QuickStep), Tomas Kopecky (TDT-Unibet), Alan Riou (Arkéa-B&B), Nicolas Debeaumarché (Cofidis), Jens Reynders (Bingoal-WB), Dylan Vandenstorme (Flanders-Baloise), Lorrenzo Manzin (TotalEnergies), Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) sheered clear, each Decathlon-AG2R and Alpecin-Deceuninck have been so decided to maintain a lid on proceedings that the race leaders’ margin by no means obtained any greater than 1:50.
Such was the velocity that with 68 kilometres to go, the eight-man break fell aside nearly of its personal volition regardless of Warlop’s finest efforts to maintain the ball within the air for just a bit longer. Warlop’s give up to the peloton was the sign for various short-lived strikes to go clear, too, beginning when Alec Segaert (Lotto-Dstny) adopted within the wake of Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X) and Antoine Huby (Soudal-Quick Step). Yet if that comparatively small assault folded nearly immediately, one other a lot greater group loved equally poor luck: the ten-man group containing remaining winner Cosnefroy, Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Segaert, Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AIUIa) and the promising younger Portuguese professional, Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates) barely endured 10 kilometres at most, just for EF Education-EasyPost to place the race again at sq. one once more.
It felt actually exceptional for a race with such a relentless collection of climbs, a lot of them cobbled, for any transfer to fail to achieve traction and speak amongst TV commentators about how, for as soon as, Brabantse Pijl would possibly come right down to a uncommon uphill bunch dash was getting an increasing number of frequent. Instead, some form of extra anticipated sample lastly got here clear when, with 33 kilometres to go on the viciously steep Moskesstraat climb, there was a pronounced acceleration by Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) adopted by former winner Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) and Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost).
This regarded just like the transfer of the day, with all three riders certain of a podium spot not less than, however Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lotto-Dstny have been equally conscious of the hazard. A gifted sprinter and up to date winner of Circuit de la Sarthe, Van den Berg’s powerhouse talents proved much more invaluable to the main trio on the race’s few flat segments, whereas Wellens and Teuns have been capable of deal with the tempo on the climbs. After being lately caught on the road in Flanders when battling for a podium place behind Mathieu van der Poel, in fact, Teuns may hardly have been extra motivated to get some sporting revenge, too – and definitely, he and Wellens labored effectively collectively to attempt to hold clear.
Coming by way of the boundaries for the second final time within the heat sunshine, the trio nonetheless solely had a 25-second benefit as TotalEnergies Dries van Gestel and former double podium finisher Michael Matthews (Jayco-AIUIa) tried to bridge throughout. But by this level in such a quick and livid race with no break within the motion, everyone’s power was ebbing quick, and a few severe collaboration was going to be essential to carry the trio again.
Decathlon-AG2R’s decided drive finally proved to be the simplest, and Van den Berg pushed so arduous he all however precipitated Teuns to crack on the final ascent of the Moskestraat – and behind him, all the peloton to shatter. First Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Quinten Hermans, although, bridged throughout on the quick descent, after which on the steadily rising Holstheide, Benoit Cosnefroy (Decathlon-AG2R) made it 5 in entrance, adopted by Joseph Blackmore (Israel-Premier Tech) and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA racer Jefferson Cepeda.
It regarded like this transfer would stick, however with solely 25-30 seconds between the primary rider and the fortieth on the entrance of the race with 5 kilometres left to go, the race was nonetheless far too near name.
Blackmore went straight to the entrance to work for his teammate Teuns, and this time spherical, the transfer of seven forward may lastly stick. About 2.5 kilometres from the road, although, Van den Berg instantly upped the tempo a bit of on the left-hand aspect of the highway, and after the rider behind him didn’t observe, the Dutchman simply stored on going.
Brought again with 500 metres to go on the final uphill, Israel-Premier Tech made use of their slight superiority in numbers for Blackmore to steer out Teuns for the dash. But Cosnefroy, third final yr, was caught firmly to Teuns again wheel and had greater than sufficient power to blast previous and take Decathlon’s ninth win of the season by over a motorcycle size.
Results
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