2020 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne – Results, Report, and Race Highlights
A superb display of dominance carried the young Dane Kasper Asgreen to the biggest victory of his career to date in astounding fashion.
Kasper Asgreen notched up Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s eighth victory at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne after a towering effort which saw him attack with more than 30 kilometers to go, catch and drop the members of the breakaway and hold off an entire furious peloton, thus leaving an indelible impression on the Opening Weekend.
“It’s definitely the biggest victory of my career! Taking a classic is so important, because when I turned pro, I had the goal of developing myself into a classics-type of rider, and to win this hard but beautiful race, just two years into my pro career, means so much to me! We had such an incredible start of the season and we hope to rack up many more solid results”, a jubilant Kasper said immediately after his big day in Belgium.
Twenty-four hours after an untimely mechanical took him out of contention at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Asgreen was one of the prominent riders on Sunday, drilling the pace for the Wolfpack and getting himself involved in several moves that went clear on the challenging course comprising eleven hills. Crosswinds contributed to these skirmishes, with attacks happening everywhere inside the last 100 kilometers, and our squad always had at least one man in every single one of these groups.
Riding just his second Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Asgreen married imagination and adventure in attacking with 44 kilometers to go, swiftly opening a small gap and catching the escapees, of whom two latched onto his wheel. Fully committed to pulling at the front of this newly-formed group, the 25-year-old single-handedly took the gap to 45 seconds, before riding the remains of the break off his wheel, with 16, respectively 9 kilometers to go, and going into time trial mode, tucked over the handlebars of his Specialized machine.
When the gap dropped to ten seconds inside the last kilometers, it looked like the catch would be inevitable, but Kasper gritted his teeth and kept pushing through the pain, going under the flamme rouge with the smallest of margins. The bunch drew closer in this nail-biting finale, but there was nothing else they could do, as the Dane finally eased up and stretched his arms to celebrate an incredible victory that came as testament of his bravery and determination.
“Bob told me in the bus this morning to do what he did last year, when he too attacked and claimed a solo victory here, so I just followed his advice, knowing the small and narrow roads would play into my favour. I jumped to counter an attack after the Kluisberg, joined the guys in the break and then dropped them one by one. It was really tough, my legs were screaming and I really suffered out there, but I kept going and began believing only at the 300-meter-to-go sign. The Opening Weekend was very good for us, we showed incredible teamwork and these results cement our confidence before the next Classics, when we want to be again up there”, said Kasper after his spectacular solo display, which saw him become just the second Dane in history to conquer Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
| Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | 4:47:18 |
| 2 | Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:03 |
| 3 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Uae Team Emirates | |
| 4 | Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 5 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek – Segafredo | |
| 6 | Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| 7 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| 8 | Ben Swift (GBr) Team Ineos | |
| 9 | Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Total Direct Energie | |
| 10 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Movistar Team | |
| 11 | Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| 12 | Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama – Fdj | |
| 13 | Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| 14 | Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| 15 | Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Movistar Team | |
| 16 | Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| 17 | Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis | |
| 18 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Lotto Soudal | |
| 19 | Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Astana Pro Team | |
| 20 | Clement Venturini (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| 21 | Piet Allegaert (Bel) Cofidis | |
| 22 | Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| 23 | Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| 24 | Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Movistar Team | |
| 25 | Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| 26 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Ccc Team | |
| 27 | Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team | |
| 28 | Aaron Van Poucke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| 29 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Cofidis | |
| 30 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| 31 | Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Nor) Uno – X Norwegian Development Team | |
| 32 | Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 33 | Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
| 34 | Johan Jacobs (Swi) Movistar Team | |
| 35 | Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama – Fdj | |
| 36 | Boris Vallee (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| 37 | Nils Politt (Ger) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| 38 | Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Ccc Team | |
| 39 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| 40 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Total Direct Energie | |
| 41 | Jonas Koch (Ger) Ccc Team | |
| 42 | Zdeněk Štybar (Cze) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 43 | Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Uae Team Emirates | |
| 44 | Michael Valgren Hundahl (Den) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| 45 | Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama – Fdj | |
| 46 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 47 | Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| 48 | Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| 49 | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama – Fdj | |
| 50 | Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Ccc Team | |
| 51 | Roy Jans (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| 52 | Yves Lampaert (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 53 | Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| 54 | Alexander Krieger (Ger) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| 55 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 56 | Luke Durbridge (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| 57 | Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Lotto Soudal | |
| 58 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb | |
| 59 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Ef Pro Cycling | 0:00:15 |
| 60 | Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix | 0:00:18 |
| 61 | Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain – Mclaren | 0:00:56 |
| 62 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Ineos | 0:01:17 |
| 63 | Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Ineos | |
| 64 | Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Team Sunweb | 0:01:56 |
| 65 | Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | 0:02:08 |
| 66 | Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama – Fdj | |
| 67 | Michael Gogl (Aut) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| 68 | Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept P / B Ktm | |
| 69 | Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno – X Norwegian Development Team | |
| 70 | Casper Phillip Pedersen (Den) Team Sunweb | 0:03:14 |
| 71 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | 0:04:15 |
| 72 | Jonas Rutsch (Ger) Ef Pro Cycling | 0:06:03 |
| 73 | Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno – X Norwegian Development Team | |
| 74 | Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team | |
| 75 | Owain Doull (GBr) Team Ineos | |
| 76 | Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| 77 | Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| 78 | Dorian Godon (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale | 0:06:31 |
| 79 | Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek – Segafredo | |
| 80 | Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| 81 | Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| 82 | Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek – Segafredo | 0:07:10 |
| 83 | Alexis Renard (Fra) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| 84 | Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept P / B Ktm | |
| 85 | Dries De Bondt (Bel) Alpecin – Fenix | |
| 86 | Erik Nordsaeter Resell (Nor) Uno – X Norwegian Development Team | |
| 87 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Ccc Team | |
| 88 | Patrick Gamper (Aut) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| 89 | Juri Hollmann (Ger) Movistar Team | |
| 90 | Lawrence Naesen (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| 91 | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| 92 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| 93 | Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
| 94 | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
| 95 | Andreas Nielsen (Den) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| 96 | Frederik Backaert (Bel) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept P / B Ktm | |
| 97 | Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 98 | Samuel Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| 99 | Alexander Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| 100 | Iljo Keisse (Bel) Deceuninck – Quick – Step | |
| 101 | Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
| 102 | Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek – Segafredo | |
| 103 | Leonardo Basso (Ita) Team Ineos | |
| 104 | Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| 105 | Julien Duval (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale | |
| 106 | Josef Černý (Cze) Ccc Team | |
| 107 | Alexander Konychev (Ita) Mitchelton – Scott | |
| 108 | Logan Owen (USA) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| 109 | Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Movistar Team | |
| 110 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
| 111 | Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis | |
| 112 | Emiel Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| 113 | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| 114 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Ntt Pro Cycling Team | |
| 115 | Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| 116 | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| 117 | Tom Bohli (Swi) Uae Team Emirates | |
| 118 | Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| 119 | Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| 120 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept P / B Ktm | |
| 121 | Kevyn Ista (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| 122 | Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Uae Team Emirates | |
| 123 | Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| 124 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis | |
| 125 | Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept P / B Ktm | |
| 126 | Ide Schelling (Ned) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| 127 | Mickael Delage (Fra) Groupama – Fdj | |
| 128 | Bert De Backer (Bel) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept P / B Ktm | |
| 129 | Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 130 | Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno – X Norwegian Development Team | |
| 131 | Martin Laas (Est) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| 132 | Aksel Nõmmela (Est) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| 133 | Julius Van Den Berg (Ned) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| 134 | Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno – X Norwegian Development Team | |
| 135 | Edoardo Affini (Ita) Mitchelton – Scott | 0:07:52 |
| 136 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Uae Team Emirates | |
| DNF | Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| DNF | Rasmus Byriel Iversen (Den) Lotto Soudal | |
| DNF | Sasha Weemaes (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| DNF | Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise | |
| DNF | Christopher Lawless (GBr) Team Ineos | |
| DNF | Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek – Segafredo | |
| DNF | Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek – Segafredo | |
| DNF | Quinn Simmons (USA) Trek – Segafredo | |
| DNF | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Ccc Team | |
| DNF | Adrien Garel (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept P / B Ktm | |
| DNF | Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| DNF | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis | |
| DNF | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
| DNF | Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| DNF | Zhandos Bizhigitov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
| DNF | Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain – Mclaren | |
| DNF | Luis Guillermo Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team | |
| DNF | Nico Denz (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
| DNF | Erik Baska (Svk) Bora – Hansgrohe | |
| DNF | Alfdan De Decker (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| DNF | Tom Devriendt (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| DNF | Marc Sarreau (Fra) Groupama – Fdj | |
| DNF | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| DNF | Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| DNF | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Circus – Wanty Gobert | |
| DNF | Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) Uae Team Emirates | |
| DNF | Mikkel Bjerg (Den) Uae Team Emirates | |
| DNF | Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno – X Norwegian Development Team | |
| DNF | Florian Maitre (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| DNF | Adrien Petit (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| DNF | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| DNF | Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Total Direct Energie | |
| DNF | Travis Mccabe (USA) Israel Start – Up Nation | |
| DNF | Jonas Castrique (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles | |
| DSQ | Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Ineos | |
| DNS | Tom Scully (NZl) Ef Pro Cycling | |
| DNS | Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis | |
| DNS | Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Lotto Soudal |