Brussels (AFP)
And five for Sam Bennett in 2021!
The Irishman of the Deceuninck team won the Classic Bruges-La Panne (formerly Trois jours de La Panne) on Wednesday by beating the sprint ahead of the Belgian Jasper Philipsen and the German Pascal Ackermann.
This is Bennett's 5th victory this season after his stage successes in the Tour of the United Arab Emirates and in Paris-Nice.
His ratio is impressive: out of seven massive sprints disputed this season, he has won five.
This success (the 11th for the Deceuninck squad in 2021) is also his first victory in a one-day WorldTour race.
Bennett, 30, was the overwhelming favorite in a race expected to end in a sprint.
Protected during the 203 km race by the French Floran Sénéchal, Bennett was ideally launched by his Danish teammate Michael Morkov in the 200 meters.
Philipsen had started the sprint to 400 meters but was unable to maintain his leading position due to a headwind which he had underestimated.
"I didn't panic when Jasper (Philipsen) ran over me. I had good legs and knew I only had to focus on myself," commented the winner, criticizing the dangerousness of the course.
“There are way too many directional islands; it makes runners very nervous,” he said.
The first Frenchman is Hugo Hofstetter, 6th.
His compatriot Arnaud Démare, well placed at the approach of the final straight (700 meters long) took off his shoes and was unable to participate in the sprint, finishing outside the top 10.
The specialists of these Flandrian races will meet on Friday at the start of the E3 Grand Prix, qualified as the mini Tour of Flanders.
With the exception of Julian Alaphilippe all the favorites of this Tour of Flanders (April 4) will be present at Harelbeke, in particular the Belgian Wout Van Aert and the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, winner of the Round last year.
© 2021 AFP