21st March – Bredene Koksijde Classic: Bredene – Koksijde
After Team Picnic PostNL’s victory with Nils Eekhoff’s in Nokere Koerse earlier this week, the team was back at the start of a mid-week race in Flanders. The route between Bredene and Koksijde started flat, followed by a hilly middle section. After the Flemish hills, the peloton made its way via the Moeren to the flat local finishing circuit, which was completed three times.
In the lead-up to the hilly section, a breakaway formed, with a second group chasing behind, including Eekhoff and Julius van den Berg. Eekhoff managed to bridge across to the breakaway, where the 15 riders at the front worked well together. In the reduced peloton Casper van Uden, Tobias Lund Andresen, and Alex Edmondson stayed well positioned and alert.
In a tense finale, the breakaway just managed to stay ahead despite a chasing peloton. In the battle for victory, Eekhoff sprinted to a strong third place; the second podium result in three days for Team Picnic PostNL and Eekhoff.
After the finish Eekhoff said: “From the start, we were sharp and ready to be at the front for the echelons. We made sure not to miss the split and fought for each other. Towards the hilly sector with the Kemmelberg, everything came back together, and Julius jumped into a good move. The second time up the Kemmelberg, I made it into the select group that bridged across to the breakaway. It was always touch and go whether it would all come back together, but I kept my head cool and focused on riding my own final. With no late attacks, it was all about being ready for the sprint. Edward Theuns went early and I thought there would be a moment to launch over him, but he was strong enough to hold on. I’m happy with my performance today, and it feels good to show that I’m really back racing at the front.”
Team Picnic PostNL coach Roy Curvers analysed the race: “We started the race ready for echelons, and at the first opportunity, we made the split with all seven of us in the front. That set the tone for the day. The eventual break formed in the hill zone, with two groups of eight going up the road. At first, we had Julius and Nils in the move, but unfortunately Julius lost contact. From there, it was a 90-kilometer battle for seconds between the break and the bunch, with Nils keeping a cool head, always ready to go for the win. In the end, the sprint was all about the legs, and third place is a result we have to be happy with. We can take confidence from the fact that we were in the action all day.”
