2021 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (1.Pro), Belgium
73rd edition: Sunday, February 28, 2021
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne podium history | 2020 edition | 2022 edition | Photos |Start list
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, 197 km
Mads Pedersen (far left) wins in Kuurne. Getty Images.
Weather at the start/finish city of Kuurne at 1:45 PM, local time: 11C (51F), sunny, with the wind from the northeast at 19 km/hr (12 mph). No rain is forecast.
The race: Here's the report from third-place Tom Pidcock's INEOS Grenadiers team.
Tom Pidcock sprinted to a superb third in a bunch kick at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne after Jhonatan Narvaez's audacious long range attack was caught in the closing kilometres.
Pidcock backed up a strong showing at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with a mature performance which saw him sprint to the podium behind race winner Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) after his teammate's attack was denied with two kilometres remaining.
Narvaez had set the tone for a strong team performance when escaped the bunch with Mathieu van der Poel with over 85 kilometres remaining.
The pair powered away from the peloton and were able to catch the early break on the Oude Kwaremont to form a group of five whose lead at its height was around the minute mark. An elite chase group had formed behind where Pidcock was able to stay in contact with the Narvaez group while not assisting in the chase.
The crucial breakthrough occurred when the chasers closed in on an exposed section of road which saw Narvaez's challenge ended, but Pidcock was well-positioned and was able to battle to third in the sprint behind winner Pedersen and Anthony Turgis (Total Direct Energie).
Tom Pidcock:
"I didn’t feel good all day, I think yesterday was still in my legs a bit so I’m pretty pleased with that. Third place in a bunch sprint? Not my specialty but I’ll take that.
"I’m pleased with that and I have picked up form much quicker than I thought, I had a break after cross, and it bodes well for the next few races I think.
"It was not as difficult as it could have been to transition from cross to road, I kept some form from the cross season.
I think today I got an easy ride as Jhonny was away, and I did my job to help him win, but today makes up for yesterday. Yesterday I had much better legs, but I didn't do anything with it."
Jhonatan Narvaez:
"It's not just the people - I impressed myself as well! I wanted to make myself happy and I have done that. I prepared really well for these races and it’s nice to race in Belgium. You are always fighting for position, the roads are different… It’s really nice to be here.
"I was a little afraid before my first race on the cobbles. It is not easy, to start racing on them - but, well, it looks like I can do it!
"The plan was always to attack there anyway, and that’s when Van der Poel went too. I enjoyed every moment, until the last kilometre when they made the catch. I really enjoyed riding with him, it was full gas."
Complete results:
197 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.672 km/hr
| 1 | PEDERSEN Mads | Trek-Segafredo | 4hr 37min 4sec |
| 2 | TURGIS Anthony | Total Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 3 | PIDCOCK Thomas | INEOS Grenadiers | s.t. |
| 4 | TRENTIN Matteo | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 5 | BIERMANS Jenthe | Israel Start-Up Nation | s.t. |
| 6 | COLBRELLI Sonny | Bahrain Victorious | s.t. |
| 7 | POLITT Nils | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 8 | VAN AVERMAET Greg | Ag2r-Citroën | s.t. |
| 9 | VAN LERBERGHE Bert | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 10 | RESELL Erik | Uno-X | s.t. |
| 11 | SCHELLING Ide | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 12 | VAN DER POEL Mathieu | Alpecin-Fenix | s.t. |
| 13 | CLAEYS Dimitri | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 14 | HOELGAARD Markus | Uno-X | s.t. |
| 15 | JANSEN Amund | Team BikeExchange | s.t. |
| 16 | NAESEN Oliver | Ag2r-Citroën | s.t. |
| 17 | DEGENKOLB John | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 18 | HVIDEBERG Jonas | Uno-X | s.t. |
| 19 | LIVYNS Arjen | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 20 | KUNG Stefan | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 21 | BENOOT Tiesj | Team DSM | s.t. |
| 22 | STUYVEN Jasper | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 23 | WISNIOWSKI Lukasz | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 24 | PAQUOT Tom | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 25 | FRISON Frederik | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 26 | ZAKHAROV Artyom | Astana-Premier Tech | s.t. |
| 27 | GOGL Michael | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 28 | ANDERSEN Søren | Team DSM | s.t. |
| 29 | NARVAEZ Jhonatan | INEOS Grenadiers | s.t. |
| 30 | TEUNS Dylan | Bahrain Victorious | s.t. |
| 31 | BODNAR Maciej | Bora-hansgrohe | @ 9sec |
| 32 | HAUSSLER Heinrich | Bahrain Victorious | 0:13 |
| 33 | GAMPER Patrick | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 34 | ASGREEN Kasper | Deceuninck-Quick Step | 0:16 |
| 35 | HALLER Marco | Bahrain Victorious | 0:49 |
| 36 | DURBRIDGE Luke | Team BikeExchange | 1:21 |
| 37 | DEMARE Arnaud | Groupama-FDJ | 1:48 |
| 38 | MERLIER Tim | Alpecin-Fenix | s.t. |
| 39 | VAN POPPEL Danny | Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | s.t. |
| 40 | KRISTOFF Alexander | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 41 | CAPIOT Amaury | Arkéa-Samsic | s.t. |
| 42 | BARBIER Rudy | Israel Start-Up Nation | s.t. |
| 43 | EEKHOFF Nils | Team DSM | s.t. |
| 44 | ALLEGAERT Piet | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 45 | BARBERO Carlos | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 46 | STANNARD Robert | Team BikeExchange | s.t. |
| 47 | DE VYLDER Lindsay | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 48 | HALVORSEN Kristoffer | Uno-X | s.t. |
| 49 | VAN ASBROECK Tom | Israel Start-Up Nation | s.t. |
| 50 | ARANBURU Alex | Astana-Premier Tech | s.t. |
| 51 | MCLAY Daniel | Arkéa-Samsic | s.t. |
| 52 | IZAGIRRE Gorka | Astana-Premier Tech | s.t. |
| 53 | KEUKELEIRE Jens | EF Education-Nippo | s.t. |
| 54 | STEELS Stijn | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 55 | SINKELDAM Ramon | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 56 | STEIMLE Jannik | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 57 | GRADEK Kamil | Vini Zabù | s.t. |
| 58 | FELLINE Fabio | Astana-Premier Tech | s.t. |
| 59 | DRUCKER Jempy | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 60 | HOFSTETTER Hugo | Israel Start-Up Nation | s.t. |
| 61 | LAENGEN Vegard | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 62 | RICKAERT Jonas | Alpecin-Fenix | s.t. |
| 63 | BOIVIN Guillaume | Israel Start-Up Nation | s.t. |
| 64 | PADUN Mark | Bahrain Victorious | 1:56 |
| 65 | OSS Daniel | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 66 | CAMPENAERTS Victor | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 67 | LAMPAERT Yves | Deceuninck-Quick Step | 1:59 |
| 68 | LANGEVELD Sebastian | EF Education-Nippo | 2:02 |
| 69 | VAN DER HOORN Taco | Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | 2:05 |
| 70 | COQUARD Bryan | B&B Hotels | 2:12 |
| 71 | THEUNS Edward | Trek-Segafredo | 4:52 |
| 72 | JULLIEN Anthony | Ag2r-Citroën | s.t. |
| 73 | WALLAYS Jelle | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 74 | WELLENS Tim | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 75 | BOUDAT Thomas | Arkéa-Samsic | s.t. |
| 76 | MANZIN Lorrenzo | Total Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 77 | SCOTSON Miles | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 78 | PASQUALON Andrea | Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | s.t. |
| 79 | EDMONDSON Alex | Team BikeExchange | s.t. |
| 80 | LEMOINE Cyril | B&B Hotels | s.t. |
| 81 | MEEUS Jordi | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 82 | JUUL-JENSEN Christopher | Team BikeExchange | s.t. |
| 83 | GIBBONS Ryan | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 84 | RIESEBEEK Oscar | Alpecin-Fenix | s.t. |
| 85 | ANIOLKOWSKI Stanisław | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 86 | DOULL Owain | INEOS Grenadiers | s.t. |
| 87 | PERRY Benjamin | Astana-Premier Tech | s.t. |
| 88 | STOKBRO Andreas | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 89 | PEDERSEN Casper | Team DSM | s.t. |
| 90 | GENIETS Kevin | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 91 | LEKNESSUND Andreas | Team DSM | s.t. |
| 92 | VAN HOECKE Gijs | Ag2r-Citroën | s.t. |
| 93 | TILLER Rasmus | Uno-X | s.t. |
| 94 | SKAARSETH Anders | Uno-X | s.t. |
| 95 | MARCATO Marco | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 96 | REX Laurenz | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 97 | HODEG Alvaro | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 98 | STYBAR Zdeněk | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 99 | VAN EMPEL Etienne | Vini Zabù | 8:03 |
| 100 | BOHLI Tom | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 101 | VANHOOF Ward | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 102 | MARIT Arne | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 103 | WELTEN Bram | Arkéa-Samsic | s.t. |
| 104 | PLANCKAERT Edward | Alpecin-Fenix | s.t. |
| 105 | BYSTRØM Sven | UAE-Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 106 | POSTLBERGER Lukas | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 107 | DUPONT Timothy | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 108 | VALLEE Boris | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 109 | VAN DEN BERG Julius | EF Education-Nippo | s.t. |
| 110 | MORICE Julien | B&B Hotels | s.t. |
| 111 | LIENHARD Fabian | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 112 | VAN GENECHTEN Jonas | B&B Hotels | s.t. |
| 113 | ARMEE Sander | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 114 | DE WINTER Ludwig | Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux | s.t. |
2021 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti:
Starting ceremonies, Team Deceuninck-Quick Step is presented.
Lotto-Soudal
Team DSM
It's about time to race.
Mathieu Van Der Poel was 12th today.
Maciej Bodnar leads a break
Sep Vanmarcke rides over the rough stuff.
That should be French champion Kevin Geniets
Ramon Sinkeldam
Tom Paquot attacks on the Old Kwaremont ascent.
Ludwig De Winter tries his luck.
Race winner Mads Pedersen
Matteo Trentin
Victor Campenaerts
Here they come and Mads Pedersen is headed for a big win.
Mads Pedersen is the clear winner.
The podium, from left: Anthony Turgis (2nd), Mads Pedersen (1st) & Thomas Pidcock (3rd)
The winner, Mads Pedersen
Start list with back numbers. February 27, 2021:
175 numbers assigned
| DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP | |
| 1 | ASGREEN Kasper |
| 2 | HODEG Alvaro |
| 3 | STEELS Stijn |
| 4 | LAMPAERT Yves |
| 5 | STEIMLE Jannik |
| 6 | STYBAR Zdenek |
| 7 | VAN LERBERGHE Bert |
| TREK-SEGAFREDO | |
| 11 | STUYVEN Jasper |
| 12 | PEDERSEN Mads |
| 13 | KIRSCH Alex |
| 14 | EGHOLM Jacob |
| 16 | THEUNS Edward |
| 17 | MULLEN Ryan |
| AG2R-CITROEN | |
| 21 | VAN AVERMAET Greg |
| 22 | NAESEN Oliver |
| 23 | DUVAL Julien |
| 24 | NAESEN Lawrence |
| 25 | SARREAU Marc |
| 26 | JULLIEN Anthony |
| 27 | VAN HOECKE Gijs |
| BORA-HANSGROHE | |
| 31 | BODNAR Maciej |
| 32 | SCHELLING Ide |
| 33 | GAMPER Patrick |
| 34 | MEEUS Jordi |
| 35 | OSS Daniel |
| 36 | PÖSTLBERGER Lukas |
| 37 | POLITT Nils |
| INEOS GRENADIERS | |
| 41 | BASSO Leonardo |
| 42 | DOULL Owain |
| 43 | HAYTER Ethan |
| 44 | MOSCON Gianni |
| 45 | NARVAEZ Jhonatan |
| 46 | PIDCOCK Thomas |
| 47 | GOLAS Michal |
| LOTTO SOUDAL | |
| 51 | DEGENKOLB John |
| 52 | WELLENS Tim |
| 53 | VERMEERSCH Florian |
| 54 | FRISON Frederik |
| 55 | THIJSSEN Gerben |
| 56 | KRON Andreas |
| 57 | OLDANI Stefano |
| ISRAEL START-UP NATION | |
| 61 | BARBIER Rudy |
| 62 | BIERMANS Jenthe |
| 63 | VAHTRA Norman |
| 64 | VANMARCKE Sep |
| 65 | HOFSTETTER Hugo |
| 66 | SCHMIDT Mads |
| 67 | VAN ASBROECK Tom |
| GROUPAMA-FDJ | |
| 71 | DEMARE Arnaud |
| 72 | GENIETS Kevin |
| 73 | KUNG Stefan |
| 74 | SCOTSON Miles |
| 75 | LIENHARD Fabian |
| 76 | LUDVIGSSON Tobias |
| 77 | SINKELDAM Ramon |
| UAE TEAM EMIRATES | |
| 81 | KRISTOFF Alexander |
| 82 | BYSTROM Sven Erik |
| 83 | GIBBONS Ryan |
| 84 | MARCATO Marco |
| 85 | LAENGEN Vegard |
| 86 | TROIA Oliviero |
| 87 | TRENTIN Matteo |
| EF EDUCATION-NIPPO | |
| 91 | HOFLAND Moreno |
| 92 | KEUKELEIRE Jens |
| 93 | LANGEVELD Sebastian |
| 94 | RUTSCH Jonas |
| 95 | SCULLY Thomas |
| 96 | DOCKER Mitchell |
| 97 | VAN DEN BERG Julius |
| INTERMARCHE-WANTY-GOBERT MATERIAUX | |
| 101 | DE WINTER Ludwig |
| 102 | DEVRIENDT Tom |
| 103 | VAN DER HOORN Taco |
| 104 | PASQUALON Andrea |
| 105 | VAN POPPEL Boy |
| 106 | VAN POPPEL Danny |
| 107 | VANSPEYBROUCK Pieter |
| QHUBEKA-ASSOS | |
| 111 | ARMEE Sander |
| 112 | CAMPENAERTS Victor |
| 113 | CLAEYS Dimitri |
| 114 | GOGL Michael |
| 115 | BARBERO Carlos |
| 116 | NIELSEN Andreas |
| 117 | WISNIOWSKI Lukasz |
| BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | |
| 121 | COLBRELLI Sonny |
| 122 | PADUN Mark |
| 123 | HALLER Marco |
| 124 | HAUSSLER Heinrich |
| 125 | SIEBERG Marcel |
| 126 | TEUNS Dylan |
| 127 | WILLIAMS Stephen |
| COFIDIS | |
| 131 | LAPORTE Christophe |
| 132 | ALLEGAERT Piet |
| 133 | BOHLI Tom |
| 134 | DRUCKER Jean Pierre |
| 135 | SAJNOK Szymon |
| 136 | CARVALHO André |
| 137 | WALLAYS Jelle |
| ASTANA-PREMIER TECH | |
| 141 | ARANBURU Alex |
| 142 | BOARO Manuele |
| 143 | ZAKHAROV Artyom |
| 144 | FELLINE Fabio |
| 145 | IZAGIRRE Gorka |
| 146 | MARTINELLI Davide |
| 147 | PERRY Benjamin |
| TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE | |
| 151 | DURBRIDGE Luke |
| 152 | EDMONDSON Alexander |
| 153 | SMITH Dion |
| 154 | STANNARD Robert |
| 155 | SCOTSON Callum |
| 156 | JANSEN Amund |
| 157 | ENSEN Christopher |
| TEAM DSM | |
| 161 | ANDERSEN Søren |
| 162 | BENOOT Tiesj |
| 163 | BRENNER Marco |
| 164 | PEDERSEN Casper |
| 165 | EEKHOFF Nils |
| 166 | KANTER Max |
| 167 | LEKNESSUND Andreas |
| ALPECIN-FENIX | |
| 171 | VAN DER POEL Mathieu |
| 172 | RICKAERT Jonas |
| 173 | DILLIER Silvan |
| 174 | PLANCKAERT Edward |
| 175 | RIESEBEEK Oscar |
| 176 | TAMINIAUX Lionel |
| 177 | MERLIER Tim |
| ARKEA-SAMSIC | |
| 181 | BOUDAT Thomas |
| 182 | CAPIOT Amaury |
| 183 | PAJUR Markus |
| 184 | MCLAY Daniel |
| 185 | RUSSO Clement |
| 186 | SWIFT Connor |
| 187 | WELTEN Bram |
| VINI ZABU’ | |
| 191 | MARECZKO Jakub |
| 192 | GRADEK Kamil |
| 193 | SCHNEITER Joab |
| 194 | FRAPPORTI Marco |
| 195 | VAN EMPEL Etienne |
| 196 | BEVILACQUA Simone |
| 197 | ORRICO Davide |
| UNO-X | |
| 201 | WAERENSKJOLD Søren |
| 202 | HOELGAARD Markus |
| 203 | TILLER Rasmus |
| 204 | RESELL Erik |
| 205 | HVIDEBERG Jonas |
| 206 | HALVORSEN Kristoffer |
| 207 | SKAARSETH Anders |
| TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE | |
| 211 | HAGEN Edvald |
| 212 | BONIFAZIO Niccolo |
| 213 | MANZIN Lorrenzo |
| 214 | SOUPE Geoffrey |
| 215 | TERPSTRA Niki |
| 216 | TURGIS Anthony |
| 217 | VAN GESTEL Dries |
| BINGOAL-WB | |
| 221 | ANIOLKOWSKI Stanislaw |
| 222 | SUTER Joel |
| 223 | DUPONT Timothy |
| 224 | LIVYNS Arjen |
| 225 | PAQUOT Tom |
| 226 | REX Laurenz |
| 227 | VALLEE Boris |
| SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE | |
| 231 | DE VYLDER Lindsay |
| 232 | DE WILDE Gilles |
| 233 | MARIT Arne |
| 234 | REYNDERS Jens |
| 235 | VAN DEN BOSSCHE Fabio |
| 236 | VANHOOF Ward |
| 237 | WEEMAES Sasha |
| B&B HOTELS | |
| 241 | COQUARD Bryan |
| 242 | DE BACKER Bert |
| 243 | DEBUSSCHERE Jens |
| 244 | LECROQ Jérémy |
| 245 | LEMOINE Cyril |
| 246 | MORICE Julien |
| 247 | VAN GENECHTEN Jonas |