Gerben Thijssen wins Bredene Koksijde Classic
Belgian pips Ackermann in bunch sprint
Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) came out on top in the finishing sprint after a chaotic run-in to take victory at the Bredene Koksijde Classic. The Belgian nipped through in the dying metres to edge Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) at the line, while Sam Welsford (Team DSM) rounded out the podium close behind.
Thijssen benefitted from stellar work from his team in closing kilometres, with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty taking control at the head of the peloton during a hectic final run to the finish in Koksijde.
Narrow roads, a roundabout, and a final bend just 300 metres out all contributed to the messy finish, with UAE Team Emirates emerging on the front in the final sprint with GP Denain winner Juan Sebastián Molano leading out Ackermann.
The German launched his burst for the line up the barriers at around 125 metres to go, but he had Thijssen on his wheel ready to hit the wind in the final 50 metres.
That perfectly timed burst was enough to see the Belgian zip past Ackermann right at the line and claim his second victory of the month after the contested photo finish ahead of Caleb Ewan at the GP Monseré.
"Molano had a fantastic lead out, really fast, and I really had to try to get on the wheel of Ackermann," Thijssen said after the finish. "Pascal started his sprint and I thought I could get past him.
"I just gave everything and all my frustration from all the comments about the sprint in Monseré, whether I did win it or not. It was a bit of a middle finger to all those comments, and this is my second win of the season, a great win.
"Fucking happy," he continued. "I was a little bit disappointed about Nokere Koerse. I didn't say that I could beat Tim [Merlier] there but I was in a super good position, and they crashed in front of me and there was no way out.
"Today in the last lap I said on the radio 'let's do one more time all for me, I think I can win'. It was five riders who really gave everything for each other. They put me in a perfect place. A fantastic job by teammates."
The peloton had been all together since the 40km to go mark of the 192km race, with Tartoletto-Isorex pairing Andreas Goeman and Thomas Joseph, Thomas Kopecky (TDT-Unibet) and Timo De Jong (VolkerWessels) caught early having escaped in the opening 5km of the race.
Along the way, their advantage had reached a maximum of five minutes, while a group of four more men – Intermarché pair Laurenz Rex and Dries De Pooter, and Lotto-Dstny duo Brent Van Moer and Cedric Beullens – attempted an unsuccessful bridging move over the hills, including the Kemmelberg, at the midpoint of the race.
A mass crash at 53km to go saw riders including Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny), Hugo Hofstetter (Arkéa-Samsic), Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep), and Kristoffer Halvorsen (Uno-X) hit the deck, with the Lotto man forced to abandon as a result.
From then on it was a case of chasing down the breakaway and keeping the pace high for the inevitable closing sprint at the end of the flat run-in.
Teams including UAE Team Emirates, Lotto-Dstny, and Soudal-QuickStep all played their part in working at the front of the peloton. However, it was Intermarché-Circus-Wanty who would walk away with the spoils and an eighth victory of the campaign.
Results powered by FirstCycling
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59
Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.
As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Dani also oversees How to Watch guides and works on The Leadout newsletter throughout the season. Their favourite races are Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix and their favourite published article is from the 2024 edition of the latter: 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix
Most Popular
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Demi Vollering announces personal partnership deal with Nike
‘I am aware of my role within women’s cycling and women’s sports in general’ says Tour de France Femmes winner -
UCI Gravel World Series – Tiffany Cromwell and Jaco van Dyk win Swartberg 100
Canyon-SRAM rider flies solo to take emphatic victory while Van Dyk takes win in tight sprint -
Best cycling gloves: Hand protection, style and comfort on the bike this summer
A range of the best short and long-fingered gloves that offer great performance, style and comfort -
UCI Gravel World Series – Brennan Wertz, Jenna Rinehart claim top step at Highlands Gravel Classic
Cobe Freeburn, Nicholas Roche complete men's podium with Maude Farrell, Flavia Oliveira Parks second and third in women's race