SUPER 8 Classic 2024

September 21, 2024 Also known as Grand Prix Impanis-Van Petegem, the Super 8 Classic offers the early season classics men a chance to shine one more time on the hills around Flanders. The route takes on the Moskestraat which has been used in quite a few races including the World Championships in 2021 and finishes at the brewery in Haacht. Loïc Vliegen of Bingoal-WB, Kay De Bruyckere of Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal, Anders Johannessen of Uno-X Mobility, Lars Craps of Flanders Baloise, and Julius van den Berg of DSM-Firmenich made up the original break with Johan Jacobs of Movistar trying to bridge. Jacobs spent a lot of energy trying to get across but was dangling just in front of the peloton with 71KM to go. At that point, the five leaders only had 1 minute as they hit the 600M Chaussée d'Ottenbourg. De Bruyckere was first to be dispatched then Vliegen as the break hit the Moskestraat, Jacobs was also brought back into the peloton. Attacks from the peloton started at 54KM to go and seemed likely that it would continue to the finish. Natnael Tesfatsion of Lidl-Trek attacked on the Florivalstraat with 45KM to go. He nearly bridged to the leading trio but got stuck in the middle and was eventually swept up as the peloton stormed into the foot of the Moskestraat once again with 35KM to go. Johannessen was the last man standing from the break but he was caught shortly after going over the top of the Moskestraat by a flying Tim Wellens of UAE, Gil Gelders of Soudal Quickstep and Florian Vermeersch of Lotto-Dstny. They were brought back on the Holstheide but the bunch was reduced down to around 50 riders. With 20KM to go, less than 20 riders were still in contention. The group was still splitting up and with no more climbs before the finish, it would be a tactical finale. UAE had numbers in the group and Filippo Baroncini took his form from La Vuelta to send a flyer with 14KM to go. He got a gap of 30 seconds and took it all the way home for the victory. Rick Pluimers of Tudor Pro Cycling was doing a lot of the pulling behind but someone left the wheel go with 3KM to go and Pluimers soloed in for second place, 20 seconds after Baroncini. Rui Oliveira of UAE took the reduced sprint for third.