Theuns wins Primus Classic
Belgian's late attack holds off sprinters
Report
Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo) took his first win since 2017 at the Primus Classic, attacking late on to just about hold off the peloton in Haacht. Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Jasper De Buyst (Lotto Soudal) finished second and third, just metres behind.
Theuns' attack, which came inside the last 3km, came after a day of attacking moves from Trek, with Mads Pedersen attacking earlier on, and Jasper Stuyven disrupting the sprint trains with an attack in the final 10km.
It was a brave move, given that Theuns has a strong sprint himself, but the tactic worked to perfection. Ackermann led the charge behind, coming close enough to the Belgian at the line that a few metres more on the finishing straight would've given a different result.
How it unfolded
The break of the day contained Michael Schär (CCC Team), Dylan Bouwmans (Katusha-Alpecin), Aaron Verwilst (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Fritjof Røinås (Joker Fuel of Norway) and Elias Van Breusegem (Tartoletto-Isorex), with the men getting a gap of six minutes at one point.
But they wouldn't get that much leeway for too long, with the big names keen to make an impact as the climbs – 15 of them – started coming thick and fast midway through the day.
Attacks flew from Dries De Bondt (Corendon-Circus), Nathan Van Hooydonck (CCC Team) and Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) at various points, but the original break still hung out front, at least until the Moskensstraat with 45km to go.
There, Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) put in a testing attack. Only Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team) able to follow, in what might end up being a preview of next week's World Championships road race.
Things soon came back together though, as Van Hooydonck and Schär remained up front. The duo were caught inside the final 20km, setting up an expected sprint finish.
Trek had other ideas though, sending Stuyven up the road to play a wrecking role. He was caught 3km from the line, and was quickly replaced by Theuns. The Belgian got his gap, and pushed through the lactate threshold in the closing metres, hanging on at the line to take victory by half a bike-length.
Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | 4:36:42 |
2 | Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
3 | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
4 | Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | |
5 | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team | |
6 | Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Ccc Team | |
7 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Ccc Team | |
8 | Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Team Dimension Data | |
9 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | |
10 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
11 | Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo | |
12 | Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence | |
13 | Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
14 | Olav Hjemsæter (Nor) Team Coop | |
15 | Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
16 | Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
17 | Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Cycling Academy | |
18 | Romain Cardis (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
19 | Mathieu Van der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus | |
20 | Piet Allegaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
21 | Clément Russo (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
22 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Team Dimension Data | |
23 | André Greipel (Ger) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
24 | Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Team Sunweb | |
25 | Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
26 | Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) Team Dimension Data | |
27 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
28 | Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team | |
29 | Stan Dewulf (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:06 |
30 | Aime De Gendt (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team | 0:00:07 |
31 | Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Team Katusha Alpecin | |
32 | Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo | |
33 | Loic Vliegen (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team | |
34 | Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
35 | Mikkel Froelich Honoré (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
36 | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
37 | Nathan Earle (Aus) Israel Cycling Academy | 0:00:07 |
38 | Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Team Katusha Alpecin | |
39 | Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
40 | Herman Dahl (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway | |
41 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
42 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Team Katusha Alpecin | |
43 | Ole Forfang (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway | |
44 | Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
45 | Amund Groendahl Jansen (Nor) Team Jumbo-Visma | |
46 | Jerome Baugnies (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team | |
47 | Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
48 | Koen De Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | |
49 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Total Direct Energie | |
50 | Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
51 | Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Roompot-Charles | |
52 | Aksel Noemmela (Est) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
53 | Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Corendon-Circus | |
54 | Dries De Bondt (Bel) Corendon-Circus | |
55 | Jonas Koch (Ger) Ccc Team | |
56 | Jay Mc Carthy (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
57 | Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:00:14 |
58 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:16 |
59 | Jannik Steimle (Ger) Team Vorarlberg Santic | |
60 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:38 |
61 | Elias Van Breussegem (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex | 0:00:56 |
62 | Fridtjof Rasin Rasin (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway | 0:01:15 |
63 | Pieter Serry (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 0:01:22 |
64 | Paul Martens (Ger) Team Jumbo-Visma | 0:01:37 |
65 | Dylan Bouwmans (Ned) Metec-tkh Continental Cyclingteam p / b Mantel | 0:02:06 |
66 | Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha Alpecin | |
67 | Michael Schar (Swi) Ccc Team | 0:02:28 |
68 | Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Ccc Team | |
69 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:02:52 |
70 | Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo | 0:05:07 |
71 | Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo | 0:06:14 |
72 | Niels De Rooze (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex | |
73 | Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
74 | Michiel Stockman (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex | |
75 | Max Kanter (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
76 | Lars Bak Ytting (Den) Team Dimension Data | |
77 | Stijn Steels (Bel) Roompot-Charles | |
78 | Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot-Charles | |
79 | Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
80 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
81 | Clement Carisey (Fra) Israel Cycling Academy | |
82 | Louis Bendixen (Den) Team Coop | |
83 | Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Corendon-Circus | |
84 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma | |
85 | Nick Van der Lijke (Ned) Roompot-Charles | |
86 | Rudiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
87 | Asborn Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb | |
88 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Dimension Data | |
89 | Julien Trarieux (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence | |
90 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 0:09:49 |
91 | Jan Willem Van Schip (Ned) Roompot-Charles | |
92 | Filippo Fortin (Ita) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
93 | Cedric Beullens (Bel) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team | |
94 | Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Team Dimension Data | |
95 | Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
96 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Ccc Team | |
97 | Eirik Lunder (Nor) | |
98 | Marten Kooistra (Ned) Seg Racing Academy | |
99 | Mickael Guichard (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence | |
100 | Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Israel Cycling Academy | |
101 | Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway | |
102 | Brent Cle (Bel) Corendon-Circus | |
103 | Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
104 | Florentin Lecamus Lambert (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
105 | Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
106 | Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
107 | Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty-Gobert Cycling Team | |
108 | Hakon Lunder Aalrust (Nor) Team Coop | |
109 | Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Corendon-Circus | |
110 | Brenton Jones (Aus) Delko Marseille Provence | |
111 | Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
112 | Alan Riou (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic | |
113 | Ludvik Aspelund Holstad (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway | |
114 | Andreas Vangstad (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway | |
115 | Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | |
116 | Benjamin Perry (Can) Israel Cycling Academy | |
117 | Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Team Katusha Alpecin | |
DNF | Rasmus Byriel Iversen (Den) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Jacob Eriksson (Swe) Team Coop | |
DNF | Henrik Evensen (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway | |
DNF | Zico Waeytens (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Francisco Jose Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Ccc Team | |
DNF | Erlend Jordbrekk Blikra (Nor) Team Coop | |
DNF | Jordi Van Dingenen (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex | |
DNF | Ylber Sefa (Alb) Tarteletto-Isorex | |
DNF | Julien Van den Brande (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex | |
DNF | Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
DNF | Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Corendon-Circus | |
DNF | Joseph Areruya (Rwa) Delko Marseille Provence | |
DNF | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence | |
DNF | Andre Sotberg (Nor) Team Coop | |
DNF | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Itamar Einhorn (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Sean De Bie (Bel) Roompot-Charles | |
DNF | Kenny Dehaes (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
DNF | Huub Duijn (Ned) Roompot-Charles | |
DNF | Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
DNF | Aaron Van Poucke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
DNF | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma | |
DNF | Damien Gaudin (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
DNF | Enzo Bernard (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
DNF | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
DNF | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
DNF | Julien Mortier (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
DNF | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Dimension Data | |
DNF | Gerben Thijssen (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Jose Goncalves (Por) Team Katusha Alpecin | |
DNS | Samuel Gaze (NZl) Deceuninck-QuickStep | |
DNS | David Boucher (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex | |
DNS | Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb |
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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, joining in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, Road World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Demi Vollering, and Remco Evenepoel. Their favourite races are the Giro d'Italia, Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.
Season highlights from the 2024 season include reporting from Paris-Roubaix – 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix – and the Tour de France – 'Disbelief', gratitude, and family – Mark Cavendish celebrates a record-breaking Tour de France sprint win.
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