Foldager fastest at De Brabantse Pijl
Anders Foldager claimed a surprise victory at De Brabantse Pijl. The peloton caught the attackers in the final kilometre, after which the Dane proved the fastest in the sprint. Quinten Hermans finished second, while Benoît Cosnefroy completed the podium.
For the second year in a row, the race started in Beersel for the 66th edition of De Brabantse Pijl. At 1:35 pm, the riders set off on the final Flemish classic of the season, covering 162 kilometres and featuring 21 climbs. The short and explosive course sparked early attacking immediately after the official start.
That first move proved to be the right one. Six riders animated the break of the day: Kmínek (Burgos Burpellet BH), Christophersen (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Lefevre and Killy (Tarteletto – Isorex), along with the duo Coppens and Dissel (BEAT CC p/b Saxo). The group quickly built up a lead of around three minutes.
The escapees entered the local circuits in Overijse with two minutes still in hand. That first passage triggered a counterattack by Vervaeke (Soudal Quick‑Step) and Oldani (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA). However, after an acceleration by Wellens (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) on the Hertstraat, the duo was soon reeled back in. A flurry of attacks from the peloton then caused the gap to shrink rapidly.
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The final two survivors, Kmínek and Christophersen, were caught 44 kilometres from the finish. Grégoire (Groupama – FDJ United) opened the finale on the second ascent of the Moskesstraat, with only Debruyne (Alpecin – Premier Tech) able to follow. Shortly afterwards, a group of five — including former winner Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) and Del Grosso (Alpecin – Premier Tech) — bridged across. The group of seven started the final lap with a lead of around ten seconds.
On the last passage of the Moskesstraat, Lanhoven (Team Flanders Baloise) pushed the pace hard. It proved too much for Johannink (Unibet Tietema Rockets), while Charmig (Uno‑X Mobility) just managed to crest the climb. The group appeared to be heading for a sprint in Overijse, but was caught just before the S‑Bocht Overijse.
Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) launched his sprint early, but faded quickly. In the closing metres, riders surged from all directions, with Foldager (Team Jayco AlUla) proving the strongest. The Dane held off Hermans (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and Cosnefroy to secure the win.
