In the Pays des Collines you have had to be alert for several years in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Everything is going well at the Hameau des Papins under the impulse of Visma – Lease a Bike. About thirty riders survive that putch.
On the Bourliquet, the next of the Walloon triptych, Van Baarle and Van Aert lead the peloton. That Bourliquet is still friendly if you compare it with the cobblestones of Mont Saint-Laurent. 87 kilometers to go, but van Aert is already moving on. Lawrence Pithie, the Australian can follow him, just like the Basque Oier Lazkano and Tim Wellens who moves along. A dozen follow behind them. With Van Baarle, Jorgensen, Laporte and Benoot. They really shouldn’t be driving. Skjuins, Alaphilippe, Campenaerts, Theuns, Mohoric and co, they do.
It is quite difficult to find West Flemish people, although we tip our hats to Alec Segaert and Vito Braet. Just before the Kruisberg, a group of them, including Girmay, join the pursuers. On the Kruisberg their gap to the four leaders is already approaching one minute. Jorgensen and Mohoric try to approach in the background, but this is probably a chasse patate.
On the Trieu, the penultimate slope, Van Aert knows, here I can shake the tree again before I go to the Teide. Pithie is the apple that falls from the basket. Lazkano and Wellens will join in. In the meantime, the differences are increasing incredibly. Van Aert, Wellens and lazkano form the podium and head towards the two-minute mark. Behind them, Pithie catches up with Mohoric and Jorgensen, who are still holding on a bit.
Even further behind, Alec Segaert and Vito Braet follow in a group of runners. Although, Braet really shows himself, the Zwevezelenaar, with Campenaerts and Wright he tries to stay ahead of the peloton. It all happens just under four minutes from the three absolute trendsetters of this Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
We are going to play poker, which is also typical for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Four more kilometers and Wellens makes a first attempt. To the left of the road. Van Aert knows he has to control everything. Lazkano gets back on track.
Ultimately, there were no further real attack attempts. All in all, Van Aert easily won the sprint ahead of Wellens and Lazkano.