Stuyven Wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne

Last updated : 28 February 2016 By CNS Staff

Jasper Stuyven of Trek Factory has won the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne race.

A strong field gathered in the small village near the French border in Belgium for this annual 200km race.

The first break came early and saw eleven riders in Van Melsen (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Turgot (AG2R), Trosino (Southeast), Boy van Poppel (Trek), De Vries and Van Ginneken (Roompot), Barker (One Pro Cycling), Boucher and Druyts (Crelan- Realty Service), De Man (3M) and Cardis (Direct Energy) get clear.

This group were allowed to get 8.15 ahead after forty kilometres and 7.45 with 150kms left, thanks to Team Sky sticking a man on the front of the peloton.

They stayed away but with plenty of work going on by the likes of Peter Sagan, they were caught with around forty kilometres left.

A new group of Boonen, Vermote, Van Avermaet, Stamsnijder, Kragh Andersen, Perichon, Rowe, Naesen, Trosino, De Vries, Ligthart, Castelijns, Cort Nielsen, Boy van Poppel and Duchesne took over with a lead of 29 seconds with 25kms to go.

With sixteen kilometres to go, Jasper Stuyven attacked from the lead group which had been caught and took a 23 second lead to a group which included Tom Boonen and forty seconds to the peloton.

There was no response from the second group who were now only concerned about the minor places and Jasper Stuyven of Trek Factory went under the flam rouge with thirty seconds to spare and with a tailwind.

Today,was to be Stuvyen's day and he carried on to win in 4.53.51 with Alexander Kristoff beating Nacer Bouhanni for second place some seventeen seconds later.

Dylan Groenewegen LottoNl-Jumbo was fourth and followed by Lukasz Wisniowski of Etixx - Quick-Step, Niccolo Bonifazio of Trek-Segafredo,  Peter Sagan of Tinkoff , Edward Theuns of Trek-Segafredo, Jonas Vangenechten of IAM Cycling and British rider Scott Thwaites of Bora-Argon 18

Stuyven said: "it was hard on the local lap with the wind. I tried to manage it and went at the right time."