Bredene Koksijde Classic 2021 [FULL RACE]

March 19, 2021

Bredene Koksijde Classic 2021 – Bredene – Koksijde : 199,9 km

The Bredene Koksijde Classic may be one of the youngest races in Flanders, starting out as recently as 2002, but it has wasted none of this time in finding its own unique niche on the Belgian cycling calendar. While most Flandrian one-day races favour the rouleurs and master tacticians, this one favours the pure sprinters and offers them a rare opportunity to add a Classic to their palmares. Up until 2019, the race was known as the Handzame Classic and regularly followed a flat route from Bredene to Handzame. In 2019 the finish was moved to Koksijde and the name of the race was duly changed. This didn’t change the flavour of the race however, like the 16 editions that had come before the 2019 race still heavily favoured the sprinters and saw one of the fastest men on the planet.

Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) claimed his third victory of the season, taking out the Bredene Koksijde Classic ahead of former world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Florian Sénéchal (Deceuninck-Quickstep) in a small bunch sprint.

The early part of the race was dominated by a 13-rider breakaway and an 18-man chasing group until the race entered three local laps around Koksijde.

Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) attacked the leading group and looked set to solo to victory, only to be brought back with just 1400m to go.

Merlier’s teammate Jonas Rickaert led the group into the final few hundred metres and timed the effort perfectly, pulling off with 250m to go and, after a few pedal strokes from Sénéchal’s teammate, Merlier, winner of Le Samyn and the GP Jean-Pierre Monseré earlier this month, leapt clear and powered to the line a clean pair of wheels ahead of Pedersen.

How it unfolded

A windy, brisk but sunny day greeted riders in the afternoon in Bredene for the start of the 199km race and for the first hour of racing was contested at top speeds with the winds already pushing riders to form echelons. The flat run out to the dual ascents of the Kemmelberg already broke up the bunch and when the race hit the climbs, Qhubeka-Assos lit up the race and put three riders into a leading group of 13.

The group included Tim Declercq and Florian Senechal (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Lasse Norman Hansen, Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg and Max Walscheid (Team Qhubeka Assos), Alex Kirsch and Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM), Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates), Edward Planckaert (Alpecin-Fenix), Nils Politt and Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe), (Deceuninck-QuickStep), and Tom Van Asbroeck (Israel Start-up Nation) but were chased by a larger second group on the flat, windswept return to Koksijde.

With 45km still to race, the second group of 18 riders closed the leaders to 36 seconds with the larger peloton a distant two minutes behind.

That group contained Josef Černy (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Mikkel Bjerg and Marco Marcato (UAE Team Emirates), Michal Golas (Ineos Grenadiers), Alexander Kamp (Trek-Segafredo), Jake Stewart (Groupama-FDJ), Harry Sweeny (Lotto Soudal), Tim Merlier and Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Fenix), Christophe Noppe and Bram Welten (Team Arkea-Samsic), Eduard-Michael Grosu and Dušan Rajović (Delko), Cyril Lemoine (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) and Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Bingoal WB).

Despite the concerted efforts of Rickaert to keep the rotation going, the determination of the leaders was even more coordinated and with 40km to go the gap was going the wrong way for Merlier’s group at 44 seconds.

The situation began to reverse as the riders reached the closing three circuits with 31km to go – especially after the leaders missed a sharp turn a kilometer later and the chasers received better directions.

Pöstlberger, Sénéchal and Planckaert had a go with 27km to go, breaking the previous truce, ditching Kirsch but not the rider they most feared, Pedersen. Pöstlberger continued on after the others were brought back and managed to open up a gap of about 15 seconds.

With one of the two Bora riders up the road, it was up to the Qhubeka-Assos trio to lead the chase.

As they passed under the two laps to go banner Pöstlberger had 19 seconds on his previous companions and the second chasing group were lagging at 51 seconds.

Inside 20km to go, Alpecin-Fenix still had belief and Merlier himself began working to bring back the riders – the leader at 18 seconds and chasers at 35 seconds up the road.

Pöstlberger continued to persist with a 15-second lead but the gap between the two chasing groups behind also fell until the two came together before one lap to go.

Leknessund and Janse van Rensburg came across the line with a slight advantage on the other chasers but they were brought back under the pressure of Trek-Segafredo’s Kamp. With only eight seconds and 8km to go, Pöstlberger’s time out front was coming to an end.

The dunes of Koksijde loomed over the bunch as they got the Austrian in sight. Rickaert punched it off the front, forcing Trek-Segafredo to expend Kirsch in the chase. Politt feigned an attack then sat up to try and help his teammate and it doubled his advantage to seven seconds with 5km to go.

Another kilometre of riders looking at each other, not wanting to tow Pedersen to the line and Pöstlberger had 13 seconds in hand and a lot more confidence in his solo move.

At last, with 10 seconds and 2.3km to go, Qhubeka Assos, Deceuninck-Quickstep and Qhubeka Assos managed to find enough pace to bring the gap down and finally shut down the Austrian’s move with 1.4km to go.

It was a small bunch sprint and advantage for the riders with teammates – Rickaert took control of the lead-out for Merlier with Quickstep hot on his heels.

The former Belgian champion sat on Sénéchal’s lead-out until what looked like an early jump but Merlier held off Pedersen and the Deceuninck-Quickstep rider for the win.

Results :
1 Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 4:13:43
2 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
3 Florian Senechal (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep
4 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation
5 Eduard-Michael Grosu (Rom) Delko
6 Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Bingoal WB
7 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Qhubeka Assos
8 Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkea-Samsic
9 Nils Politt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
10 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
11 Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
12 Jake Stewart (GBr) Groupama-FDJ
13 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:02
14 Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Team Arkea-Samsic
15 Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates
16 Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal
17 Michal Golas (Pol) Ineos Grenadiers
18 Josef Cerny (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:06
19 Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Team DSM
20 Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:00:10
21 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:00:16
22 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:09
23 Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:01:28
24 Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
25 Alexander Kamp (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:03:09
26 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos 0:03:50
27 Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
28 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 0:04:19
29 Edward Planckaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:04:27
30 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:05:38
31 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal WB
32 Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
33 Shane Archbold (NZl) Deceuninck-QuickStep
34 Tom Paquot (Bel) Bingoal WB
35 Yoeri Havik (Ned) Beat Cycling
36 Donavan Grondin (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
37 Yves Coolen (Bel) Beat Cycling
38 Lewis Askey (GBr) Groupama-FDJ Continental
39 Norman Vahtra (Est) Israel Start-up Nation
40 Alfdan De Decker (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
41 Thimo Willems (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
42 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis
43 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) Cofidis
44 Martin Laas (Est) Bora-Hansgrohe
45 Mattia Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
46 Florian Maitre (Fra) Total Direct Energie
47 Jan Willem van Schip (Ned) Beat Cycling
48 Etienne van Empel (Ned) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM 0:05:42
49 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
50 Samuele Zoccarato (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
51 Tobias Bayer (Aut) Alpecin-Fenix
52 Patrick Gamper (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
53 Davide Orrico (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
54 Matthew Walls (GBr) Bora-Hansgrohe
55 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
56 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
57 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko
58 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
59 August Jensen (Nor) Delko
60 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
61 Niklas Märkl (Ger) Team DSM
62 Riccardo Minali (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
63 Pierre Barbier (Fra) Delko
64 Andreas Goeman (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
65 Ruben Apers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
66 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Bingoal WB
67 Rudy Barbier (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation
68 Koen de Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
69 Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
70 Jonas Castrique (Bel) Bingoal WB
71 Syver Wærsted (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
72 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
73 Frederik Backaert (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
74 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
75 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
76 Gianni Marchand (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
77 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
78 Piotr Havik (Ned) Beat Cycling
79 Andreas Nielsen (Den) Team Qhubeka Assos
80 Antonio Puppio (Ita) Team Qhubeka
81 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
82 José Gonçalves (Por) Delko
83 Samuel Leroux (Fra) Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:05:54
84 Emiel Vermeulen (Bel) Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Metropole
85 Dusan Rajovic (Srb) Delko
86 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
87 André Carvalho (Por) Cofidis
88 Alex Richardson (GBr) Alpecin-Fenix
89 Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal WB
90 Alexis Renard (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation
91 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
92 Alberto Dainese (Ita) Team DSM
93 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
94 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Team Arkea-Samsic
95 Bert De Backer (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
96 Damien Gaudin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
97 Stijn Steels (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
98 Morten Hulgaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
99 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Cofidis 0:06:11
100 Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
DNS Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Team DSM
DNF Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Ian Garrison (USA) Deceuninck-QuickStep
DNF Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Leon Heinschke (Ger) Development Team DSM
DNF Martin Salmon (Ger) Team DSM
DNF Enzo Leijnse (Ned) Development Team DSM
DNF Jhonatan Narvaez Prado (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers
DNF Cameron Wurf (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers
DNF Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers
DNF Alexys Brunel (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Rait Ärm (Est) Groupama-FDJ Continental
DNF Clément Davy (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Filippo Conca (Ita) Lotto Soudal
DNF Matthew Holmes (GBr) Lotto Soudal
DNF Sébastien Grignard (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Sylvain Moniquet (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Tom Bohli (Swi) Cofidis
DNF Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis
DNF Taj Jones (Aus) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) Team Qhubeka Assos
DNF Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Team Qhubeka Assos
DNF Jasper De Plus (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Théo Delacroix (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Danny van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Markus Pajur (Est) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Alan Riou (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
DNF Clément Carisey (Fra) Delko
DNF Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
DNF Kevin Reza (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
DNF Jeremy Cabot (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Paul Ourselin (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Marlon Gaillard (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Total Direct Energie
DNF Boris Vallee (Bel) Bingoal WB
DNF Niklas Larsen (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF Erik Nordsaeter Resell (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF Alex Colman (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Jens Reynders (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Sasha Weemaes (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Andrea Bartolozzi (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
DNF Alessandro Iacchi (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
DNF Joab Schneiter (Swi) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
DNF Wout van Elzakker (Ned) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
DNF Nicolas Dalla Valle (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
DNF Mirco Maestri (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
DNF Fabio Mazzucco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
DNF Alessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
DNF Thibau Verhofstadt (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Thomas Joseph (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Lennert Teugels (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Enzo Wouters (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
DNF Mathias De Witte (Bel) Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Metropole
DNF Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Metropole
DNF Thomas Denis (Fra) Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Metropole
DNF Maximilien Picoux (Bel) Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Metropole
DNF Valentin Tabellion (Fra) Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Metropole
DNF Martijn Budding (Ned) Beat Cycling
DNF Jules Hesters (Bel) Beat Cycling
DNF Stefano Museeuw (Bel) Beat Cycling