photo credits @CBD
Jasper Philipsen won a stormy edition of the Classic Brugge-De Panne out of a select group of riders on Wednesday afternoon, sprinting past Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) and Yves Lampaert (Soudal Quick-Step) to victory.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was part of an elite quartet that clipped off the front with 15km to go; Frederik Frison (Lotto Dstny) was the other member.
The four riders were originally part of a bunch of 18 which formed with 63km to go in the crosswinds and rain of West Flanders.
Race Highlights
An early attack saw Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa Samsic), Louis Bendixen (Uno-X), Jens Reynders (Israel-Premier Tech) and Milan Fretin (Flanders Baloise), escape the peloton with the quartet quickly being joined by Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-EasyPost), Louis Blouwe (Bingoal WB) and Johan Meens (Bingoal WB).
The breakaway group later became five with 141km to go, as Meens and Blouwe were both shed by the front group.
With 107km remaining, the first decisive split in the peloton occurred, a move that meant the remainder of the break was quickly swept up.
Movistar, UAE Team Emirates, Groupama-FDJ, Astana Qazaqstan, Bahrain-Victorious, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, TotalEnergies and Bingoal WB were all missing from the front group, while other favorites for the win like Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal Quick-Step) and Kooij were also absent.
A much-reduced peloton eventually regrouped with 68km to go, with the 18 riders at the front.
As strong winds plagued the peloton, riders were blown all over the place, with Philipsen, Kooij, Lampaert and Frison being forced off the front with 15km to go.
Despite just twenty seconds between the quartet and the chasers, the group made it stick, with Frison making a final attempt at an attack during the final approach before Lampert opened up the sprint.
However, Philipsen pounced just before the line, snatching the victory ahead of Lampert and Kooij to seize the win.
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