Tiesj Benoot completed Jumbo-Visma’s domination of Opening Weekend by winning Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne from a five-man break ahead of his teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck. (Image credit: Luc ClaessenGetty Images)
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne is a one-day race in Belgium that forms part of the Spring Classics campaign.
Together with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on the preceding Saturday, it forms part of what's known as the Opening Weekend of the Belgian Classics season – a tone-setter ahead of the bigger prizes to be won in the main spring period.
While the Omloop shares a similar race identity to the Tour of Flanders, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne is more geared towards the sprinters, with Mark Cavendish a two-time winner.
That has been changing in recent years as the organisers have sought to intensify the route and racing has become more open, but two of the last four editions have culminated in bunch sprints, with Fabio Jakobsen and Mads Pedersen speeding to glory.
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As indicated by the name, the race starts and finishes in Kuurne, but, although it heads southeast through the Flemish Ardennes, it doesn't come anywhere near Brussels.
The winner of Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne receives a toy donkey, stemming from the not-so-affectionate nickname for locals of this sleepy town just outside of Kortrijk.
2023 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne route
The map for the 2023 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Image credit: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne)
The race organisers for Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne have paired with RouteYou to create an interactive map and profile for the 2023 edition. The 193km route around Kuurne tackles some of the most popular climbs of the Spring Classics.
The early loop sends riders over the famed Koppenberg and the Wolvenberg, while the foray into Wallonia uses lesser known but equally punishing ascents of the Hameau des Papins, Le Bourliquet and Croisette.
Luckily for the sprinters, all of those are out of the way with 60km to go and a pan-flat run-in almost always ensures a fast finish.
2023 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne teams
AG2R-Citroën
Alpecin-Deceuninck
Arkéa-Samsic
Astana Qazaqstan
Bahrain Victorious
Bora-Hansgrohe
Cofidis
Groupama-FDJ
Ineos Grenadiers
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
Jayco-AlUla
Jumbo-Visma
Movistar
Soudal-QuickStep
Team DSM
Trek-Segafredo
UAE Team Emirates
Bingoal WB
Human Powered Health
Israel-Premier Tech
Lotto-Dstny
Team Flanders-Baloise
TotalEnergies
Q36.5 Pro Cycling
Uno-X Pro Cycling
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne race history
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne was first held in 1945 and is now about to hold its 74th edition.
Valère Olivier was the first winner and Belgians have gone on to dominate the race, with a total of 53 home winners. Of them, the decorated Tom Boonen holds the record of three victories, in 2007, 2009, and 2014.
The late February date has often seen wintery conditions, and the race has had to be cancelled on three occasions: 1986, 1993, and 2013. That makes it 73 editions in the past 76 years, but there have in fact been 74 winners, with Alfred De Bruyne and Leon Van Daele sharing the honours in 1961 after a close finish that the officials were unable to call.
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