Place Name: Zeelaan
Address: Zeelaan 125, 8670 Koksijde, West Flanders, Belgium
Details: March 15, 2024
Some rain and quite a lot of wind pummeled the riders, making this edition a difficult one right from the start.
The first passage of the Kemmelberg strung the peloton out and a few groups formed with the leading group consisting of around thirty riders with 112KM remaining. The group swelled to sixty or seventy riders but as the race came back around to the Baneberg and Kemmelberg climbs, it split again to about thirty five riders in the main group and many chase groups formed behind. At 90KM to go, the main group did get larger to about forty five riders and they were able to catch the break just 8KM later, bringing most of the together.
A crash through a corner with 76KM to go split the peloton into three echelons, just as the winds started to pick up. The front group of twenty riders rode hard and were able to continue to extend their advantage. At 52KM to go, the riders hit De Moeren at a cross-tail wind and riders were spit out everywhere. When the race hit the local laps with 33KM to go, the front only had twenty seconds lead as Tudor Pro Cycling were driving the chase.
The catch was made at 27KM, making a group of nearly fifty riders that would likely all go to the finish together. Nils Politt of UAE got a small group off the front with Daan Hoole of Lidl-Trek and Yves Lampaert of Soudal Quickstep but they were marked by Intermarché-Wanty and DSM-Firmenich. Lampaert and the DSM-Firmenich rider Patrick Eddy stayed away as the others were caught but Eddy was not completely committed and the pair were brought back.
The finish was 300M straight with a heavy head wind. Dylan Groenewegen of Jayco AlUla hit out first but it was a long way to go. Luca Mozzato of Arkéa-B&B Hotels was able to come off the wheel and nip passed Groenewegen for the win.
Tags: Bredene Koksijde Classic, 2024, March, Bredene, Koksijde, Nils Politt, Daan Hoole, Yves Lampaert, Patrick Eddy, Dylan Groenewegen, Luca Mozzato