Arnaud De Lie wins GP Marcel Kint
Almost immediately after the start, Kenneth Van Rooy, Miguel Heidemann, Morten Hulgaard, Declan Trezise, James Fouche, Jon Knolle and Max Kroonen escaped. Kobe Vanoverschelde did his utmost to accompany the seven-member leadership group, but after a while he had to realize that this was impossible. The early breakaways gathered a maximum lead of 6:45.
During the first ascent of the Paterberg, after a 53 kilometer race, the peloton exploded into different parts. Over time, the large group reformed and the seven leaders could start the big loop of 94 kilometers with a 6:25 lead with the climbs of the Tiegemberg, Nieuwe Kwaremont, Paterberg, Oude Kwaremont and the Kluisberg. During the second and immediately last passage over the Paterberg, Declan Trezise and Jon Knolle lost touch in the leading group.
Sep Vanmarcke pushed hard on that bulge in the peloton and that was too much for some riders. With 46 kilometers to go, Max also had to let Kroonen drive and we were left with only 4 refugees. Sep Vanmarcke also took the lead in the peloton during the climb of the Oude Kwaremont and a chasing group of 20 riders formed. Just before tackling the Kluisberg, the 10th and final slope of the day, the chasing group on Kenneth Van Rooy, Miguel Heidemann, Morten Hulgaard and James Fouche gathered again.
The leading group started the last 18.7 kilometers with a lead of one minute on the peloton, still 62 riders, in which the entire Team Arkéa Samsic team set the pace. With 8 kilometers to go, Kenneth Van Rooy was the best. He straightened and was swallowed by the large group. However, just before entering the final kilometre, everything melted together.
In the ensuing bunch sprint, South African champion Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg neatly took his sprinter Arnaud De Lie in tow and set him off perfectly. De Lie took his 4th victory of the season and succeeds Colombian Alvaro Hodeg as final winner of the GP Marcel Kint.
Briton Christopher Lawless was fourth ahead of Piet Allegaert. It immediately became the fourth victory for Arnaud De Lie. Earlier in the year he was the best in the Trofeo Playa de Palma, the GP Jean-Pierre Monseré and the Volta Limburg Classic.
Tribute to ‘The Black Eagle’
This Grand Prix Marcel Kint is a tribute to ‘De Zwarte Arend’ from Zwevegem. Marcel Kint became world champion in 1939 and is the longest reigning world champion ever due to the Second World War. In the same year Kint also became Belgian champion. The West Fleming won a few stages in the Tour de France in addition to victories in the Paris-Roubaix (1943), Gent-Wevelgem (1949), the Waalse Pijl (1943, 1944 and 1945) and Paris-Brussels (1938).
Last year Colombian Alvaro Hodeg won the GP Marcel Kint.