Brussels Cycling Classic: Jordi Meeus wins tight sprint after hectic finale

Jordi Meeus of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe secured a narrow victory in a thrilling sprint finish at the Brussels Cycling Classic, edging out Milan Fretin (Cofidis) and Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling) in a closely contested finale. The race climaxed with a hectic last kilometre, featuring a crash involving a Picnic-PostNL rider and a decisive acceleration from Vincenzo Albanese (EF Education-EasyPost). Meeus’ teammate Danny van Poppel played a crucial role by bridging the gap to Albanese with 500 metres remaining, setting up Meeus for the winning surge. The 206.3km race saw an early breakaway form around the 55km mark, consisting of Casper Pedersen, Titouan Fontaine, Sébastien Grignard, Marius Mayrhofer, and Henrik Pedersen. The peloton maintained control, gradually reeling in the escapees as the race approached the series of challenging climbs, including the iconic Muur-Kapelmuur, Bosberg, and Congoberg. The breakaway’s advantage diminished steadily, with the peloton intensifying the pace on the climbs and cobbled sections, ultimately catching the leaders with around 15km remaining. The race dynamics were shaped by aggressive tactics and a series of crashes in the closing stages. Notably, a crash involving Alex De Bock disrupted the peloton’s rhythm, while other incidents occurred in the final kilometres as teams jostled for position ahead of the sprint. Despite late attacks from riders like Erik Nordsaeter Resell, the sprinters’ teams managed to control the race, setting the stage for a high-speed dash to the line on flat, fast roads. Meeus’ victory marked his fourth win of the season and underscored his sprinting prowess in demanding one-day races. The success also highlighted the strength of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s lead-out train, particularly van Poppel’s timely effort to deliver Meeus into contention. With the Brussels Cycling Classic serving as a key early-season test, this result positions Meeus and his team as serious contenders in upcoming sprint finishes across the European calendar.