Despite mentioned sprint finishes, the trend in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne has been for aggressive tactics and selective racing. In 2016, Jasper Stuyven held off the peloton to solo to victory, while Peter Sagan won the 2017 edition in a five-up sprint.
The 206 kilometres race features its key stretch in the 75 kilometres before the last climb, where ten ‘hellingen’ are packed together. Merely 350 metres long, Nokereberg is the last climb before the finale is played out on exposed, flat terrain. How is Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne going to unfold this time – (bunch) sprint or late attack?
Whatever it’s going to be, the second race of the Flemish Opening Weekend will be demanding, especially given the time of year. Strong winds, cold rain and even snow are possible threats in Flanders, although the weather gods seem to stick to rain and winds in this edition.
Dylan Groenewegen is the only former winner on the start list.
Favourites 2019 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
***** Dylan Groenewegen, Matteo Trentin
**** Magnus Cort, Sonny Colbrelli, Jens Keukeleire
*** Danny van Poppel, André Greipel, Pascal Ackermann
** Yves Lampaert, Giacomo Nizzolo, Michael Valgren
* Jürgen Roelandts, Oliver Naesen, Nacer Bouhanni