Brussels (AFP)
The Danish Mads Pedersen (Trek) won Sunday the 72nd edition of the Flemish semi-classic Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, of which the Dutch Mathieu van der Poel, remarkable panache was the great animator.
The 2019 road world champion beat Frenchman Anthony Turgis (Total Direct Energie) and Briton Thomas Pidcock (Ineos) in the sprint.
Mathieu van der Poel, cyclo-cross world champion and winner of the last Tour of Flanders, attacked 80 kilometers from the line in the Kruisberg.
Only four runners (Patrick Gamper, Jonathan Narvaez, Jonas Hvideberg, and Artyom Zakharov) were able to accompany Raymond Poulidor's grandson.
These five escaped men believed for a long time that they could compete for victory but they were joined two kilometers from the finish under the impetus of the Danish Kasper Asgreen, winner a year ago at Kuurne and who was aiming for the double.
Van der Poel still had the strength to sprint but, stuck against the barriers, he finished outside the top-10, unable to face the power of Pedersen very well helped by the Belgian Jasper Stuyven.
This is the first victory this season for Pedersen (25) who was on his seventh day of racing.
"I owe a lot to Jasper who took me perfectly in the sprint, up to the 200 meters", explained the winner who last year won the classic Gand-Wevelgem.
© 2021 AFP