As expected Elfstedenronde Brugge ends with a sprint finish, but in a much more chaotic ending than expected due to a fall. The favorite is out Gerben Thijssenthe victory went to Alexander Kristoffwho took advantage of the team’s superiority in the best possible way after the split generated by the fall of -2. For the Norwegian it is victory number eighty-nine in his career and the first in this race, where he adds to a roll of honor which is a synthesis of all the best of the sprinters from the north in recent years, from Jasper Philipsen one year ago to Fabio Jakobsen And Tim Merlierup to a young man Wout van Aert on an equally young one Mathieu van der Poel in 2017.
For the Uno-X Mobility it is just the second victory of the season after that of
Søren Wærenskjold at the AlUla Tour on January 31st, and arrives thanks to its most famous leader, fresh from a difficult spring. A significant success to update the account of a team that tends to be protagonists even in more important contexts than a 1.1 for sprinters at the beginning of May, but which in 2024 has so far collected less than in previous years. That’s three victories in one day for the Norwegian team, with all its sections: al Maarten Wynants Trophies success for Anniina Ahtosalo (Chiara Consonni third), while the Development team wins at Ringerike GP with Idar Andersen.
Elfstedenronde 2024, the race report
Departure and arrival in Brugge for the race of the eleven cities, 199 kilometers with four final laps of a 28.9 kilometer circuit. In the initial escape they are there Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB), Jelle Johannink (TDT-Unibet Cycling Team), Thimo Willems (VolkerWessels Cycling Team), Kay De Bruyckere (Pauwels Sauzen Bingoal), Arne Santy (Tarteletto-Isorex) e Mike Bronswijk (Diftar Continental Cyclingteam). Their lead reaches two and a half minutes after a few dozen kilometres, with the Intermarché-Wanty and the Uno-X Mobility to check.
The not exorbitant advantage of the breakaway invites some medium-range attacks to try to join the lead, despite the almost entirely flat terrain. Around -40, already inside the final circuit, they try Lars Vanden Heede (Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team) e Guillaume Visser (Diftar Continental Cyclingteam), which they chase for several kilometers without success.
Santy is the first to break away in front, just before the start of the last lap. The five remaining in the lead arrive with just 42″ of advantage, a small margin but which shows no sign of decreasing. Only in the last ten kilometers does the group begin to see the breakaways, while Johannink is the first to try to pull away. He will do the same Willems in the following kilometers, but the last to give up is Desaltaken only 3.5 kilometers from the finish line, in full preparation for the sprint.
Thijssen out, Kristoff takes advantage
At that point it’s there Alpecin Deceuninck to take the lead in the series of curves that bring the finale, with several trains still compact. At -2 however, in a straight exit from one of the last corners, two riders touch each other around the twentieth position, triggering a carom that also ousted Gerben Thijssen from the contest, probably the main favorite. On the ground too Jensen Plowrightwhich however had already exhausted its work in favor of Simon Dehairsthe sprinter designated today by Alpecin.
The young Belgian is one of the fast wheels left at the front, because following the fall the group broke up and only twenty remained. Jonas Rickaert he makes his last push inside the last kilometre, but behind him Uno-X still has two men at Kristoff’s disposal. The last one is Tord Gudmestad, which moves to -150 due to the sprint of its captain. They try to come together Jarne van de Paar (Dstny Lot) e Pierre Barbier (Philippe Wagner/Bazin), but head to head favors Kristoff, who launches the header and holds until the end. Dehairs is ultimately fourth after the team’s work, while Laurenz Rex obtains a good fifth place for Intermarché after Thijssen’s defection.
