2021 Bredene Koksijde Classic (HC), Belgium
Formerly: Handzame Classic
18th edition: Friday, March 19, 2021
Handzame Classic historic results | 2019 edition (2020 edition cancelled) | 2022 edition | Start list
Bredene - Koksijde, 199 km
Tim Merlier wins in Koksijde. Photo News photo
Weather at the finish city of Koksijde at 12:50 AM, local time: 7C (45F), fair, with the wind from the northeast at 29 km/hr (18 mph). There is only the tiniest chance of rain.
The race: Here's the report from third-place Florian Sénéchal's Deceuninck-Quick step team.
There’s no such thing as an easy Belgian one-day race, and Friday’s Bredene Koksijde Classic served as testimony to this. The 200km event, which this year ran its 18th edition, got off to a furious start that saw the bunch get split in the merciless crosswinds, giving way to a frantic chase of those caught at the wrong end of the cut. Things eventually came together after a crazy first hour of racing, which had the riders cover close to 60 kilometers.
Unsurprisingly, the main attack of the day were launched on the iconic Kemmelberg, a 12-man group pulling clear and immediately putting one minute between them and the fragmented peloton. Florian Sénéchal made the split and traded turns at the front with his companions, who managed to keep a comfortable gap by the time they entered the local circuit. On the first lap there, the chasing group, numbering 18 men, clawed back time – in part also thanks to some of the leaders missing a turn with 30 kilometers to go, which resulted in the group being reduced to ten riders.
The two groups came back together 11 kilometers from the line, at which point one rider was some 20-odd seconds clear having attacked sensing a lull in the pace. Josef Cerny took over the reins and pushed a ferocious tempo that wiped out the advantage of the leader. The Czech rider continued at the front also under the flamme rouge, giving a solid lead-out to Sénéchal, who sprinted to third – behind Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) and Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) – and took his second podium of the season, after the runner-up spot in Almeria.
Complete Results:
199 kilometers raced at an average speed of 47.060 km/hr
| 1 | Tim Merlier | Alpecin-Fenix | 4hr 13min 43sec |
| 2 | Mads Pedersen | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 3 | Florian Senechal | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 4 | Tom van Asbroeck | Israel Start-Up Nation | s.t. |
| 5 | Eduard Grosu | Delko | s.t. |
| 6 | Stanislaw Aniolkowski | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 7 | Max Walscheid | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 8 | Bram Welten | Arkéa-Samsic | s.t. |
| 9 | Nils Politt | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 10 | Cyril Lemoine | B&B Hotels | s.t. |
| 11 | Kristoffer Halvorsen | Uno-X | s.t. |
| 12 | Jake Stewart | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 13 | Rui Oliveira | UAE Team Emirates | @ 2sec |
| 14 | Benjamin Declercq | Arkéa-Samsic | s.t. |
| 15 | Mikkel Bjerg | UAE Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 16 | Harry Sweeny | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 17 | Michal Golas | INEOS Grenadiers | s.t. |
| 18 | Josef Cerny | Deceuninck-Quick Step | @ 6sec |
| 19 | Andreas Leknessund | Team DSM | s.t. |
| 20 | Jonas Rickaert | Alpecin-Fenix | @ 10sec |
| 21 | Reinardt Van Rensburg | Qhubeka-Assos | @ 16sec |
| 22 | Lukas Postlberger | Bora-hansgrohe | 1:09 |
| 23 | Anders Skaarseth | Uno-X | 1:28 |
| 24 | Jordi Warlop | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 25 | Alexander Kamp | Trek-Segafredo | 3:09 |
| 26 | Lasse Hansen | Qhubeka-Assos | 3:50 |
| 27 | Marco Marcato | UAE Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 28 | Alex Kirsch | Trek-Segafredo | 4:19 |
| 29 | Edward Planckaert | Alpecin-Fenix | 4:27 |
| 30 | Mark Cavendish | Deceuninck-Quick Step | 5:38 |
| 31 | Milan Menten | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 32 | Giovanni Lonardi | Bardiani CSF Faizanè | s.t. |
| 33 | Shane Archbold | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 34 | Tom Paquot | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 35 | Yoeri Havik | Beat Cycling | s.t. |
| 36 | Donavan Grondin | Arkéa-Samsic | s.t. |
| 37 | Yves Coolen | Beat Cycling | s.t. |
| 38 | Lewis Askey | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 39 | Norman Vahtra | Israel Start-Up Nation | s.t. |
| 40 | Alfdan De Decker | Tarteletto-Isorex | s.t. |
| 41 | Thimo Willems | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 42 | Simone Consonni | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 43 | Szymon Sajnok | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 44 | Martin Laas | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 45 | Mattia Bevilacqua | Vini Zabú | s.t. |
| 46 | Florian Maître | Total Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 47 | Jan-Willem van Schip | Beat Cycling | s.t. |
| 48 | Etienne Van Empel | Vini Zabú | 5:42 |
| 49 | Vegard Laengen | UAE Team Emirates | s.t. |
| 50 | Samuele Zoccarato | Bardiani CSF Faizanè | s.t. |
| 51 | Tobias Bayer | Alpecin-Fenix | s.t. |
| 52 | Patrick Gamper | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 53 | Davide Orrico | Vini Zabú | s.t. |
| 54 | Matthew Walls | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 55 | Rüdiger Selig | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 56 | Thomas Boudat | Arkéa-Samsic | s.t. |
| 57 | Evaldas Siskevicius | Delko | s.t. |
| 58 | Olivier Le Gac | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 59 | August Jensen | Delko | s.t. |
| 60 | Ethan Hayter | INEOS Grenadiers | s.t. |
| 61 | Niklas Märkl | Team DSM | s.t. |
| 62 | Riccardo Minali | Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert | s.t. |
| 63 | Pierre Barbier | Delko | s.t. |
| 64 | Andreas Goeman | Tarteletto-Isorex | s.t. |
| 65 | Ruben Apers | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 66 | Timothy Dupont | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 67 | Rudy Barbier | Israel Start-Up Nation | s.t. |
| 68 | Koen De Kort | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 69 | Emils Liepins | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 70 | Jonas Castrique | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 71 | Syver Wærsted | Uno-X | s.t. |
| 72 | Matteo Moschetti | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 73 | Frederik Backaert | B&B Hotels | s.t. |
| 74 | Julien Morice | B&B Hotels | s.t. |
| 75 | Boy van Poppel | Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert | s.t. |
| 76 | Gianni Marchand | Tarteletto-Isorex | s.t. |
| 77 | Wesley Kreder | Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert | s.t. |
| 78 | Piotr Havik | Beat Cycling | s.t. |
| 79 | Andreas Stokbro | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 80 | Antonio Puppio | Qhubeka-Assos | s.t. |
| 81 | Fabian Lienhard | Groupama-FDJ | s.t. |
| 82 | Jose Goncalves | Delko | s.t. |
| 83 | Samuel Leroux | Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Métropole | 5:54 |
| 84 | Emiel Vermeulen | Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Métropole | s.t. |
| 85 | Dusan Rajovic | Delko | s.t. |
| 86 | Laurens De Vreese | Alpecin-Fenix | s.t. |
| 87 | Andre Carvalho | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 88 | Alexandar Richardson | Alpecin-Fenix | s.t. |
| 89 | Tom Wirtgen | Bingoal-WB | s.t. |
| 90 | Alexis Renard | Israel Start-Up Nation | s.t. |
| 91 | Iljo Keisse | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 92 | Alberto Dainese | Team DSM | s.t. |
| 93 | Jens Debusschere | B&B Hotels | s.t. |
| 94 | Christophe Noppe | Arkéa-Samsic | s.t. |
| 95 | Bert De Backer | B&B Hotels | s.t. |
| 96 | Damien Gaudin | Total Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 97 | Stijn Steels | Deceuninck-Quick Step | s.t. |
| 98 | Morten Hulgaard | Uno-X | s.t. |
| 99 | Jelle Wallays | Cofidis | 6:11 |
| 100 | Lionel Taminiaux | Alpecin-Fenix | s.t. |
Start list with backnumbers, March 18, 2021:
166 riders signed up
| BORA-HANSGROHE | |
| 1 | POLITT Nils |
| 2 | GAMPER Patrick |
| 3 | LAAS Martin |
| 4 | PÖSTLBERGER Lukas |
| 5 | SAGAN Juraj |
| 6 | SELIG Rüdiger |
| 7 | WALLS Matthew |
| DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP | |
| 11 | CAVENDISH Mark |
| 12 | ARCHBOLD Shane |
| 13 | GARRISON Ian |
| 14 | KEISSE Iljo |
| 15 | SENECHAL Florian |
| 16 | STEELS Stijn |
| 17 | CERNY Josef |
| UAE TEAM EMIRATES | |
| 21 | BJERG Mikkel |
| 22 | RIABUSHENKO Aliaksandr |
| 23 | LAENGEN Vegard Stake |
| 24 | MARCATO Marco |
| 25 | MOLANO Juan |
| 26 | OLIVEIRA Ivo |
| 27 | OLIVEIRA Rui |
| TEAM DSM | |
| 31 | DAINESE Alberto |
| 32 | HEINSCHKE Leon |
| 33 | EEKHOFF Nils |
| 34 | MÄRKL Niklas |
| 35 | SALMON Martin |
| 36 | LEIJNSE Enzo |
| 37 | LEKNESSUND Andreas |
| INEOS GRENADIERS | |
| 41 | NARVAEZ Jhonnatan |
| 43 | HAYTER Ethan |
| 44 | GOLAS Michal |
| 45 | WURF Cameron |
| 46 | RODRIGUEZ Carlos |
| TREK-SEGAFREDO | |
| 51 | PEDERSEN Mads |
| 53 | KAMP EGESTED Alexander |
| 54 | LIEPINS Emils |
| 55 | MOSCHETTI Matteo |
| 56 | DE KORT Koen |
| 57 | KIRSCH Alex |
| GROUPAMA-FDJ | |
| 61 | BRUNEL Alexys |
| 62 | STEWART Jake |
| 63 | ÄRM Rait |
| 64 | ASKEY Lewis |
| 65 | DAVY Clement |
| 66 | LE GAC Olivier |
| 67 | LIENHARD Fabian |
| LOTTO SOUDAL | |
| 71 | CONCA Filippo |
| 72 | HOLMES Matthew |
| 73 | GRIGNARD Sébastien |
| 74 | MONIQUET Sylvain |
| 75 | SWEENY Harry |
| 76 | THIJSSEN Gerben |
| COFIDIS | |
| 81 | CONSONNI Simone |
| 82 | SAJNOK Szymon |
| 83 | BOHLI Tom |
| 84 | CARVALHO André |
| 85 | MORIN Emmanuel |
| 86 | WALLAYS Jelle |
| ISRAEL START-UP NATION | |
| 91 | BARBIER Rudy |
| 94 | JONES Taj |
| 95 | RENARD Alexis |
| 96 | VAHTRA Norman |
| 97 | VAN ASBROECK Tom |
| QHUBEKA-ASSOS | |
| 101 | JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reinardt |
| 102 | PUPPIO Antonio |
| 103 | HANSEN Lasse Norman |
| 104 | STOKBRO NIELSEN Andreas |
| 105 | PELUCCHI Matteo |
| 106 | SUNDERLAND Dylan |
| 107 | WALSCHEID Max |
| INTERMARCHÉ-WANTY-GOBERT MATÉRIAUX | |
| 111 | DE PLUS Jasper |
| 112 | KREDER Wesley |
| 113 | MINALI Riccardo |
| 114 | DE WINTER Ludwig |
| 115 | DELACROIX Théo |
| 116 | VAN POPPEL Boy |
| 117 | VAN POPPEL Danny |
| ALPECIN-FENIX | |
| 121 | MERLIER Tim |
| 122 | RICKAERT Jonas |
| 123 | DE VREESE Laurens |
| 124 | BAYER Tobias |
| 125 | PLANCKAERT Edward |
| 126 | RICHARDSON Alexandar |
| 127 | TAMINIAUX Lionel |
| ARKÉA-SAMSIC | |
| 131 | BOUDAT Thomas |
| 132 | DECLERCQ Benjamin |
| 133 | GRONDIN Donovan |
| 134 | NOPPE Christophe |
| 135 | PAJUR Markus |
| 136 | RIOU Alan |
| 137 | WELTEN Bram |
| DELKO | |
| 141 | BARBIER Pierre |
| 142 | CARISEY Clément |
| 143 | JENSEN August |
| 144 | GONCALVES Jose |
| 145 | GROSU Eduard-Michael |
| 146 | RAJOVIC Dusan |
| 147 | SISKEVICIUS Evaldas |
| B&B HOTELS | |
| 151 | BACKAERT Frederik |
| 152 | DE BACKER Bert |
| 153 | DEBUSSCHERE Jens |
| 154 | VAN GENECHTEN Jonas |
| 155 | REZA Kévin |
| 156 | LEMOINE Cyril |
| 157 | MORICE Julien |
| TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE | |
| 162 | CABOT Jeremy |
| 163 | MAITRE Florian |
| 164 | OURSELIN Paul |
| 165 | GAILLARD Marlon |
| 166 | GAUDIN Damien |
| 167 | SOUPE Geoffrey |
| BINGOAL-WB | |
| 171 | DUPONT Timothy |
| 172 | ANIOLKOWSKI Stanislaw |
| 173 | MENTEN Milan |
| 174 | VALLEE Boris |
| 175 | PAQUOT Tom |
| 176 | CASTRIQUE Jonas |
| 177 | WIRTGEN Tom |
| UNO-X | |
| 181 | HALVORSEN Kristoffer |
| 182 | HULGAARD Morten |
| 183 | LARSEN Niklas |
| 184 | RESELL Erik |
| 185 | SKAARSETH Anders |
| 186 | TILLER Rasmus |
| 187 | WÆRSTED Syver |
| SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE | |
| 191 | APERS Ruben |
| 192 | COLMAN Alex |
| 193 | DE KETELE Kenny |
| 194 | REYNDERS Jens |
| 195 | WARLOP Jordi |
| 196 | WEEMAES Sasha |
| 197 | WILLEMS Thimo |
| VINI ZABU' | |
| 201 | BEVILACQUA Mattia |
| 202 | BARTOLOZZI Andrea |
| 203 | IACCHI Alessandro |
| 204 | SCHNEITER Joab |
| 205 | ORRICO Davide |
| 206 | VAN ELZAKKER Wout |
| 207 | VAN EMPEL Etienne |
| BARDIANI CSF FAIZANE' | |
| 211 | DALLA VALLE Nicolas |
| 212 | LONARDI Giovanni |
| 213 | MAESTRI Mirco |
| 214 | MAZZUCCO Fabio |
| 215 | MONACO Alessandro |
| 217 | ZOCCARATO Samuele |
| TARTELETTO-ISOREX | |
| 221 | GOEMAN Andreas |
| 222 | MARCHAND Gianni |
| 223 | VERHOFSTADT Thibau |
| 224 | DE DECKER Alfdan |
| 225 | JOSEPH Thomas |
| 226 | TEUGELS Lennert |
| 227 | WOUTERS Enzo |
| XELLISS-ROUBAIX LILLE METROPOLE | |
| 231 | DE WITTE Mathias |
| 232 | LEVEAU Jérémy |
| 233 | DENIS Thomas |
| 234 | PICOUX Maximilien |
| 235 | TABELLION Valentin |
| 236 | LEROUX Samuel |
| 237 | VERMEULEN Emiel |
| BEAT CYCLING | |
| 241 | VAN SCHIP Jan Willem |
| 242 | BUDDING Martijn |
| 243 | HESTERS Jules |
| 244 | HAVIK Piotr |
| 245 | HAVIK Yoeri |
| 246 | MUSEEUW Stefano |
| 247 | COOLEN Yves |