photo credits @ Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) took the biggest win of his career when he outsprinted Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jesper Philipsen in the bunch finish to claim today’s Het Nieuwsblad in Ninove.
Today’s cobble classic was shaped by a long-range solo move from Stefan Küng, who attacked with over 10 kilometers remaining. From there, the Swiss rider quickly opened a gap that looked poised to hold off the peloton. However, as the chase ramped up behind, Küng’s advantage dwindled, with the Groupama-FDJ rider finally getting reeled in with just one kilometer to go.
With fast men like Philipsen and Magnier in the mix, many expected a big-name sprinter to seize the win. But, the Norwegian rider launched his sprint to perfection, powering past Magnier and Philipsen in a tight finish to clinch the victory.
In the meantime, race favorite Wout van Aert’s day ended in disappointment, as the Belgian rider found himself boxed in during the chaotic final kilometers, while Matteo Jorgenson made a decisive move but ultimately didn’t have the legs to finish the job.
Earlier, the day’s breakaway formed inside the first 10km, with Elmar Reinders (Team Jayco AlUla), Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Julius van den Berg (Team Picnic PostNL) and Victor Vercouillie (Team Flanders – Baloise) riding clear, only to be joined by Siebe Deweirdt (Team Flanders – Baloise), Enzo Leijnse (Team Picnic PostNL) and Giosuè Epis (Arkéa – B&B Hotels).
With the breakaway within 1:30, Ineos’ Joshua Tarling bridged over, while the first part of the peloton merged with 30km remaining.
The Muur produced a 14-strong leading group including van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson, Jasper Philipsen, Wellens and his new teammate Jhonatan Narváez, as they scrambled to reach the Bosberg without growing in numbers.
Küng attacked the van Aert group just before it ballooned up to 40, quickly opening up a 15-second advantage with 6km to go. But, alas, Küng was reined in during the final kilometer.
Up front, a messy sprint ensued, with Wærenskjold coming up the right-hand barrier, while Magnier went on the left and Philipsen surged down the middle. But, it was Wærenskjoldl who emerged victorious.
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