Kuurne - Brussels - Kuurne 2021: Pedersen sprints to glory

image: Cor VosMathieu van der Poel opens Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne with an attack from far out, but the race comes down to a group sprint. Mads Pedersen outguns Anthony Turgis and Tom Pidcock. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2021

1. Mads Pedersen (den)
2. Anthony Turgis (fra) s.t.
3. Tom Pidcock (gbr) s.t.
4. Matteo Trentin (ita) s.t.
5. Jenthe Biermans (bel) s.t.
6. Sonny Colbrelli (ita) s.t.
7. Nils Politt (ger) s.t.
8. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) s.t.
9. Bert Van Lerberghe (bel) s.t.
10. Erik Nordsaeter Resell (nor) s.t.

Race report
Bodnar and De Winter open up a gap before Gamper and Zacharov join them. Paquot and Hvideberg are the last riders to bridge across before the six widen their lead to 7 minutes.

On Kanarieberg, with 85 kilometres remaining, Van der Poel strikes and Narvaez goes with him. The two track the leaders down on Oude Kwaremont.

After the last climb, Kluisberg, Hvideberg, Zacharov, Gamper, Van der Poel and Narvaez are the remaing leaders.

A strong chase group – including Pidcock, Coquard, Livyns, Stuyven, Asgreen, Kragh Andersen, Benoot, Teuns, Degenkolb, Trentin, Politt, Van Avermaet, Van Lerberghe, Naesen, Schelling, Turgis, and Frison – enters the final 15 kilometres lap 200 metres behind the leaders. Another chase group – with Haussler, Colbrelli, Campenaerts, Pedersen, Küng, and others – rejoins the chasers inside the last 12 kilometres.

The leaders are brought back with 2 kilometres left.

In the ensuing sprint Stuyven leads out Pedersen, who wins the race with a comfortable margin ahead of Turgis and Pidcock.

Another interesting read: route 2021 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.