Søren Wærenskjold sprints to first WorldTour victory
The Norwegian Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) has claimed victory in the opening classic. A reduced group of favorites rode towards the final straight in Ninove. Wærenskjold had the strongest legs on the Elisabethlaan and kept Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) behind him.
Almost immediately after the start, several riders attempted to break away early: Giosuè Epis (Arkéa - B&B Hotels), Elmar Reinders (Team Jayco AlUla), Victor Vercouillie (Team Flanders - Baloise), Siebe Deweirdt (Team Flanders - Baloise), Enzo Leijnse (Team Picnic PostNL), Julius van den Berg (Team Picnic PostNL), and Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets) took off. The peloton quickly gave them the green light: after half an hour of racing, the breakaway had built a lead of 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
With a strong team, UAE Team Emirates was also closely watched. On the cobbles of the Lange Munte, UAE launched the first acceleration, reducing the breakaway's advantage from 7 minutes to less than 5 minutes. Shortly after, De Lie (Lotto) faced mechanical issues. The Belgian champion had to stop twice and was forced into a chase.
Driven by strong teams Lidl – Trek and Visma – Lease a Bike, the pace increased on the Eikenberg and Wolvenberg. The breakaway's lead quickly shrank to less than 2 minutes. With 50 km to go, Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) launched an attack, but Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers) responded and managed to create a 40-second gap on the Holleweg.
On the Molenberg, the peloton showed its first signs of breaking apart. Alpecin-Deceuninck was well-positioned on the climb and took control at the front of the reduced peloton. Among others, De Lie and Van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) missed the move and tried to close the gap from the second group. After the Molenberg, the race leaders still had a 1-minute and 20-second advantage over the first chasing group.
As Tarling and the breakaway were caught, Visma – Lease a Bike used the Berendries to bridge the gap to the first group. A small group including Van Aert, Benoot, and Tratnik broke free from the chasing pack. With 29 km to go, the favorites regrouped on the Elverenberg-Vossenhol. Arnaud De Lie paid the price for his earlier effort to catch up after his mechanical issue and had to let the lead group go.
Alpecin-Deceuninck continued to set the pace at the front. With around 50 riders left, the battle for positioning began in the run-up to the Muur. Last year’s winner, Jan Tratnik (Red Bull - BORA - Hansgrohe), suffered a puncture just before the Muur, ending his chances of victory. On the climb, Wellens (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Vacek (Lidl - Trek) dictated the pace, but no one managed to break away.
On the Bosberg, Vacek took the initiative again. The peloton split into two, with a strong group of favorites at the front. Powerhouse Stefan Küng (Groupama - FDJ) took advantage of the slowing pace after the Bosberg and launched a strong attack. With 5 km to go, Küng still had more than a 15-second lead before being reeled in during the final kilometer. A bunch sprint was inevitable. With a powerful sprint, Norwegian Søren Wærenskjold claimed victory on the Elisabethlaan. Paul Magnier and Jasper Philipsen completed the surprising podium.
