Solo victory at Brussels Cycling Classic 2024. Jonas Abrahamsen seizes the moment by following the action of Martin Svrcek and then takes flight alone, managing to resist the return of the small group of favourites, regulated by Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), for a handful of seconds. Completing the day’s podium is Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), also well present in the decisive action that split the group, leaving just about forty units in front. It was from this composition that the Uno-X Pro Cycling rider set off towards the end, obtaining his first victory as a professional. Good at following in the key moments, they close in the top ten too Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) e Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group Bardiani CSF Faizanè).
The video of the arrival
The story of the stage
After about fifteen kilometers from the start, they manage to gain an advantage Alexis Gougeard (Cofidis), Thibaud Gruel (Groupama-FDJ), Martin Svrcek (Soudal-QuickStep), Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB) e Kamiel Bonneu (Team Flanders-Baloise). With a moment’s delay it also moves Riccardo Lucca (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), who soon returned to the pacesetters, thus forming a group of six men in the lead who quickly gained up to 4’48” on the group.
After having stabilized the gap, the platoon began to accelerate about sixty kilometers after the start, bringing the gap under three minutes and to 1’30” at the foot of the first ascent of the Grammont Wall, -100 from the end. Along the wall the group breaks into three sections and emerges from the first Liam Slock (Lotto Dstny), which within about twenty kilometres, having passed Bosberg and Congober, returns to the men in command. The platoon, however, regroups and, led by Alpecin-Deceuninckremains at 1’30”.
With this situation we arrive at the beginning of the second ascent of the Grammont, where the first to accelerate is Biniam Girmay (Intemarché-Wanty), who manages to take away a group of around thirty runners, although other men later return. The Eritrean then accelerates again on the Bosberg and causes new fractures that take him by surprise Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility), which remains in a second group which later loses about fifty seconds from the first part. This, made up of around fifty units, instead goes to pick up the fugitives as soon as they enter the last 50 kilometres.
Thus begins a tense battle, which sees the group get significantly closer, arriving at a delay of less than twenty seconds. At that point the reunion seems close, but thanks to a new acceleration the pacesetters enter the final 15 kilometers with a gap back to 30 seconds. At that point Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) relaunches the action, trying to lead a small group away on the Heiligekruiswegstraat, a 700 meter climb that can hurt. The sprint of the Swiss rider, immediately followed by Biniam Girmay, doesn’t make a difference, but it opens the ball and marks the end of the group’s pursuit.
I am the one to seize the moment on the next slight slope Martin Svreck (Soudal Quick-Step) e Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), who immediately find an agreement not to detach the others, who instead struggle to organize themselves behind them. The new leading pair thus quickly gains twenty seconds, with which they enter the final ten kilometres, while Aime De Gendt (Cofidis), having started too late, had to get up again to be absorbed by a small group of pursuers who were then led by Intermarché-Wanty.
Four kilometers from the finish line Abrahamsen relaunches his action, quickly outpacing his now former adventure companion, caught by the pursuers two kilometers from the finish, with men Q36.5 Pro Cycling, Groupama-FDJ And UAE Team Emirates who try a desperate comeback. The pacesetter thus sees his gap decrease more and more, but it is now too late to return and the sprint behind the Norwegian is only worth second place. While Jonas Abrahamsen celebrates his first success among professionals, he is therefore behind him Biniam Girmay to take second position, regulating Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceunink) at the end of a sprint that was not without regrets.
