Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2022 [FULL RACE]

February 27, 2022

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2022 – Kuurne – Kuurne : 195,1 km

Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne regularly draws ‘Opening Weekend’ to a dramatic close. It’s another challenging race to get the Classic season started and even though it has often finished in a reduced bunch sprint, it can’t really be categorised as a sprinter’s race. First held in 1946, this race has been a major part of the Spring Classics season for over half a century and has seen some of the sport’s most legendary riders etch their names onto its winners list.

Fabio Jakobsen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) edged out Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) in a bunch sprint to win Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.

Although it ended in a sprint, the race was far from straightforward, with a breakaway trio of Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) only being brought back on the finishing straight, having been part of a group that first formed about 60km from the finish.

Jakobsen fired past them while sprinting to the line, and just about held off the challenge to his left from Ewan to take victory.

With 20km to go the peloton appeared to have the race firmly under control, with a bunch sprint looking inevitable. The twelve riders left in the breakaway were within sight, and nine of them were brought back 17km from the finish.

But Laporte, Narvaez and van der Hoorn hadn’t yet given up the ghost, and stubbornly refused to be caught, and still held a lead of just over 10 seconds heading into the final 10 kilometres.

By the time they reached 4km to go with the gap still at 10 seconds, there was panic in the peloton. QuickStep-AlphaVinyl were burning through their domestiques yet making no inroads, while Laporte’s Jumbo-Visma teammates were disrupting the chase by moving to the front round the corners and slowing down.

But a final push to the line in the peloton, notably from Israel-Premier Tech, was just about enough to bring them within reach of the sprinters, and Jakobsen was able to use the trio’s slipstream to start his sprint early.

“I have to thank the team of course,” he said at the finish. “We had three guys to catch in the end, and I had to use all my teammates to even be able to sprint for the win.

“The last hour was fast and furious, but I know that I have a good sprint, so I launched it 300m to go and dove into their slipstream. Then it was just all the way to the line. I could feel Ewan come on the left, but I guess I had a good jump and I could pass the line first.

The win is Jakobsen’s fifth of the season, and continues his brilliant recovery since his serious crash in the summer of 2020.

“It’s been step-by-step since last year, especially after the crash in Poland. I had to restart almost all over again. But I had the experience and the time, so I’d like to thank the team for that also, and this is a way to pay them back. Winning is never easy, we always aim for it.

“The next races are probably Gent-Wevelgem, of course Scheldeprijs, and in my dreams I’d like to win Milan-San Remo, but I need to climb a bit better and be able to do 300k.

“My mind is also in Eastern Europe, with the people in Ukraine. There’s a war going on there, and in Belgium and the Netherlands we are free to do what we want again, go out, watch the race and enjoy riding our bikes. But my mind and my heart is with the people there, and I hope they get through this.”

How it unfolded
Just as it did yesterday during the first part of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the sun shone on the peloton for what was the second part of Opening Weekend.

Lluis Mas (Movistar) was the instigator of the day’s break, which also featured Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), Luke Durbridge (BikeExchange-Jayco), Wessel Krul (Human Powered Health), Arjen Livyns, Bas Tietema (both Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) and Jules Hesters (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise).

That seven-man group later became a nine-man group, when the EF Education-EasyPost duo of Ben Healy and Julius van den Berg bridged up to them, making the juncture at 100km to go.

Those EF Education-EasyPost helped increase the pace enough for Tietema then Krul to be dropped, but behind the peloton were motoring along, led by Ineos Grenadiers.

Their work was enough to bring the gap down to just 30 seconds with 90km to go, until they knocked off the pace a few kilometres later — which was good news for both the break, who extended their advantage back up to over one minute, and Yves Lampaert (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), who was able to rejoin the peloton easily after having a mechanical 85km from the finish.

The easing up of the pace prompted Rex Laurenz (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB) to attack out of the peloton.

He was only away for a few kilometres, however, as Kasper Asgreen took control of the peloton for QuickStep-AlphaVinyl over the tough Mont Saint-Laurent cobbled climb.

After the climb was crested, Ineos Grenadiers went on the attack, with first Tom Pidcock and then Jhonatan Narvaez putting in digs. Neither went clear, but the increase in pace did reduce the peloton significantly, and bring the breakaway (which now featured just five riders after Healy and Hesters were dropped) back under one minute.

Ineos Grenadiers continued to ride aggressively on the next climb, the Kruisberg, stretching the peloton into one long line. Asgreen and then Pidcock attacked after the climb, and later another handful of riders including Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) but still no-one could succeed in going clear.

That changed on the next climb, the Côte du Trieu, when Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) exploded out of the peloton. His attack blew the race to pieces, as a group of 16 formed behind him, then joined him 58km from the finish.

Those 17 riders were: Benoot, Christophe Laporte, Nathan Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma), Tom Pidcock, Jhonatan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers), Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates), Kasper Asgreen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ), Tom Skujins (Trek-Segafredo), Damien Touze (Ag2r Citroen), Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious), Tobias Ludvigsson (Groupama-FDJ), Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar) and Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-Samsic), plus Durbridge, Livyns and van der Hoorn, who dropped back from the original break.

Israel-Premier Tech were eager to bring the group back, putting five riders at the front of the peloton, but the group was committed, and by 50km to go had opened up a lead of 50 seconds. Only after they were joined by other teams, including Lotto-Soudal and Bahrain-Victorious, did the gap begin to whittle down, and was back under 20 seconds with 37km left to ride

At this point Garcia attacked out of the lead group, with Van Hooydonck on his wheel. Surprisingly, that acceleration saw Pidcock and Benoot drop out the back of the group, and be swallowed up by the peloton.

Trentin counter-attacked after Garcia and Van Hooydonck were caught, only for the group to reform again shortly after, now consisting of just a dozen riders.

Kung, Asgreen, Trentin and Laporte each took it in turns to up the pace around 30km from the finish, the latter temporarily ejecting Garcia, Skujins and Livyns from the group.

On a long, straight road 20km from the finish, the peloton had the break within their sights, and a committed turn from Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Victorious) helped bring them closer still.

But Laporte, Narvaez and van der Hoorn attacked before the others were caught, with what turned out to be very nearly the race-winning move.

Results :
1 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 4:32:13
2 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal
3 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
4 Daniel McLay (GBr) Arkea-Samsic
5 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Israel-Premier Tech
6 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
7 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
8 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Jumbo-Visma
9 Matteo Trentin (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
10 Taco van der Hoorn (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
11 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
12 Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
13 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
14 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
15 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
16 Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Team DSM
17 Dion Smith (NZl) BikeExchange-Jayco
18 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
19 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
20 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
21 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis
22 Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Movistar Team
23 Samuel Gaze (NZl) Alpecin-Fenix
24 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
25 Jordi Warlop (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM
26 Michael Valgren (Den) EF Education-EasyPost
27 Jonas Koch (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
28 Erik Nordsaeter Resell (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
29 Magnus Sheffield (USA) Ineos Grenadiers
30 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
31 Jenno Berckmoes (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
32 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
33 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
34 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
35 Nickolas Zukowsky (Can) Human Powered Health
36 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) UAE Team Emirates
37 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
38 Stan Dewulf (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
39 Jhonatan Narvaez Prado (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers
40 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis
41 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain Victorious
42 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
43 Vito Braet (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
44 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
45 Antonio Puppio (Ita) Israel-Premier Tech
46 Nils Politt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:07
47 Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
48 Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
49 Lewis Askey (GBr) Groupama-FDJ
50 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious
51 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
52 Michael Schär (Swi) AG2R Citroen Team
53 Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
54 Hugo Houle (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
55 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
56 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
57 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
58 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
59 Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
60 Luke Durbridge (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
61 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
62 Damien Touze (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
63 Fabio Van Den Bossche (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
64 Luis Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team
65 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Bahrain Victorious
66 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
67 Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:14
68 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:16
69 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:22
70 Thomas Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
71 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:40
72 Alexander Kamp (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:47
73 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team DSM 0:00:52
74 Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
75 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
76 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 0:01:05
77 Adrien Petit (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:01:07
78 Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Arkea-Samsic 0:01:09
79 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
80 Cedric Beullens (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:36
81 Edvald Boasson-Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies 0:01:51
82 Ben Turner (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:02:49
83 Jannik Steimle (Ger) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
84 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 0:03:12
85 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
86 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ
87 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
88 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
89 Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:03:45
90 Michael Gogl (Aut) Alpecin-Fenix 0:05:20
91 Edward Planckaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:08:17
92 Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:09:31
93 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:09:55
94 Laurence Pithie (NZl) Groupama – Fdj
95 Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) TotalEnergies
96 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) TotalEnergies
97 Juri Hollmann (Ger) Movistar Team
98 Milan Fretin (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
99 Casper Pedersen (Den) Team DSM
100 William Levy (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
101 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
102 Pierre Barbier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
103 Patrick Gamper (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
104 Markus Pajur (Est) Arkea-Samsic
105 Jan Maas (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
106 Casper Van Uden (Ned) Development Team Dsm
107 Antoine Raugel (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
108 Colin Joyce (USA) Human Powered Health
109 Eddy Fine (Fra) Cofidis
110 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
111 Sébastien Grignard (Bel) Lotto Soudal
112 Kim Heiduk (Ger) Ineos Grenadiers
113 Pier Andre Cote (Can) Human Powered Health
114 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
115 Tom Bohli (Swi) Cofidis
116 Sasha Weemaes (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
117 Peter Sagan (Svk) TotalEnergies
118 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
119 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
120 Tobias Andresen (Den) Development Team Dsm
121 Ben Swift (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
122 Jordi Meeus (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe
123 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) EF Education-EasyPost
124 Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
125 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
126 David Dekker (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
127 Tobias Bayer (Aut) Alpecin-Fenix
128 Alex Colman (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
129 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) EF Education-EasyPost
130 Luca Mozzato (Ita) B&B Hotels-KTM
131 Edoardo Affini (Ita) Jumbo-Visma
132 Ben Healy (Irl) EF Education-EasyPost
133 Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education-EasyPost
134 Owain Doull (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost
135 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Cofidis 0:11:53
136 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) Cofidis
DNF Arvid de Kleijn (Ned) Human Powered Health
DNF Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Adam De Vos (Can) Human Powered Health
DNF August Jensen (Nor) Human Powered Health
DNF Donavan Grondin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
DNF Maurice Ballerstedt (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
DNF Kamil Gradek (Pol) Bahrain Victorious
DNF Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Wessel Krul (Ned) Human Powered Health
DNF Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Martin Laas (Est) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Karl Patrick Lauk (Est) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Leon Heinschke (Ger) Team DSM
DNF Johan Jacobs (Swi) Movistar Team
DNF Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Nor) Team DSM
DNF Oier Lazkano Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Julius van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-EasyPost
DNF Raphael Parisella (Can) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNF Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNF Jules Hesters (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Christopher Lawless (GBr) TotalEnergies
DNF Tuur Dens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal
DNF Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Bas Tietema (Ned) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
DNF Alexander Konychev (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNF Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis
DNF Lawson Craddock (USA) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNF Marco Haller (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Morten Hulgaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Trek-Segafredo