Famenne Ardenne Classic: 1-2 for XDS Astana as Max Kanter sprints to victory ahead of teammate Cees Bol
Intermarché-Wanty's Arne Marit settled for third place in Marche-en-Famenne
Max Kanter (XDS Astana) was the fastest in the bunch sprint to win the Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic on Sunday. It was 1-2 for XDS Astana as the German sprinter crossed the line just ahead of his teammate Cees Bol, while Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty) settled for third place in Marche-en-Famenne.
"It was definitely our day today! We had a super strong line-up with very fast and powerful guys, all ready to fight for the best result. Many teams tried to attack and shake things up in the final, but our riders did an amazing job with positioning; Ale (Romele), Mike (Teunissen), Gleb (Syritsa), and Cees (Bol) were incredible in the finale. They really did a great job," Kanter said.
"Honestly, I think Cees deserved the win today, because he was super strong. The results we've achieved this week are really satisfying for all of us, and I believe they motivate each of us to keep performing at our best. Now I'll take a few days of rest, and then I’m heading to the Giro."
Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic offered the field a 186.7km race in and around Marche-en-Famenne. The race tackled one larger loop, followed by shorter hilly circuits that included a 3.4km climb over Côte de Roy each lap.
The early breakaway included Baptiste Vadic (TotalEnergies), Axel Huens (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise), Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe Rookies), Ewout De Keyser (Tarteletto-Isorex), Stijn Appel and Robbe Mellaerts (BEAT Cycling Club) and Jasper Haest (VolkerWessels Cycling).
The breakaway only ever gained two minutes on the field, led by Alpecin-Deceuninck and Intermarche-Wanty, that slashed their lead to just 45 seconds as the race entered the final 50km.
The eight riders were ultimately reeled in just outside of 30km from the finish line, and while several new attacks ensued, especially over the Côte de Roy on the last lap, the peloton was all together on the run-in to the final.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Teams XDS Astana, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe Rookies, Unibet Tietema Rockets, and Israel-Premier Tech lined up their riders in the closing kilometre, but it was Kanter who was fastest to the line to take the day's win.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling

Kirsten Frattini has been the Editor of Cyclingnews since December 2025, overseeing editorial operations and output across the brand and delivering quality, engaging content.
She manages global budgets, racing & events, production scheduling, and contributor commissions, collaborating across content sections and teams in the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia to ensure audience and subscription growth across the brand.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Giant overhauls gravel range with two new bikes and a suite of gravel components
Just when we thought the gravel releases were over for the year, Giant has released a slew of new gravel products -
Best bike locks 2026: Quality locks to keep your bike secure
The highest-rated U-locks, chain locks and folding locks we've tested -
Sprinter Tim Merlier spearheads Soudal-QuickStep's first assault on Tour de France in post-Remco Evenepoel era
No Paul Magnier nor Mikel Landa in lineup, but 2025 Mont Ventoux winner Valentin Paret-Peintre returns for more climbing stages -
Save up to $372.60 on a NordVPN subscription – Lock down your Tour de France viewing from anywhere this summer
If you're a cycling fan travelling overseas, the only way to avoid geo-restrictions on your Tour de France streaming service is by using a VPN, making these NordVPN deals perfectly timed, with up 75% off



