Bora professional won the Primus Classic, Kanter third
Jordi Meeus (Bora – hansgrohe) won the 12th Primus Classic. | Photo: Cor Vos
09/17/2022 | (rsn) – Jordi Meeus (Bora – hansgrohe) celebrates his second victory of the season at the 12th Primus Classic (1.Pro). After the last three kilometers of the 199.3 kilometer race from Brakel to Haacht split the field, the Belgian ran into a leading group of only about 15 led by the Frenchman Arnaud Démare (Groupama – FDJ) and the man from Cottbus Max Kanter. (Movistar) pass. Fourth is his Lansmann Kenneth Van Rooy (Topsport Vlaanderen) ahead of Canadian Guillaume Boivin (Israel – Premier Tech).
It was the second win in nine days for the 24-year-old Meeus when he won the final stage of the Tour of Britain (2nd Pro). “I fell on the Tour of Poland and broke my collarbone. Then I went to the Tour of Britain, actually in preparation for a one-day race – and it helped my form a lot,” the winner after passing the favorite Démare.
“It started raining for the last 20 minutes. That makes the road worse,” Meeus explained. “When I fell I entered the corner about fifth and I think there was a big gap after the seventh or eighth position,” he added. “I got the position perfectly. Ide Schelling (teammate) also approached and stretched the group in the last 900 meters. Then, Demare and I can only about sprint past. He ran out of power in the last 50 meters and I was able to accelerate,” said professional Bora.
Kanter, who is the same age, came close to his first victory with the pros. Movistar, led by Gonzalo Serrano, the winner of the Tour of Britain, put full tactics against the German and chased several groups that broke away in the last 40 kilometers. Like Meeus, Kanter was well ahead of the peloton when he crashed. He began his run on Demare’s rear wheel but was unable to overtake the Frenchman. “The team did well for me today and I’m very happy with third place. In my last race I crashed and of course I recovered well from it. I didn’t have a third over my legs today,” Kanter said.
Here’s how the contest goes:
After 15 kilometers, the Dutch footballer Niki Terpstra (TotalEnergies), who was on his farewell tour, separated from the field with his compatriot Meindert Weulink (ABLOC) and two Danes Casper Pedersen (DSM) and Niklas Larsen (Uno-X). The quartet received a maximum bonus of seven minutes from the field before the tempo increased. A good 50 kilometers from the finish, Weulink was left behind in second on the Moskeestraat.
Shortly after, seven drivers around Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal) broke away from Holstheide, but were quickly caught again. Then, on the cobblestones of Bekestraat, Sep Vanmarcke (Israel – Premier Tech), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Soudal), Jasper Philipsen, Stefano Oldani (both Alpecin – Deceuninck), Anthony Turges, Dries van Gestel (both TotalEnergies) And. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) up and out. After Horenberg and the next cobblestone sector directly behind it, the gap between the field and the septet is only 45 seconds.
In turn, caught up with the leading group shortly after, before Jonasutsch (EF Education – EasyPost) led the followers to 30 seconds in front of Smeysberg, from where Larsen fell. From the field, Ilan van Wilder (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) attacked, Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Soudal) followed but initially refused to pass the leader, leaving the duo ten seconds behind the leader before Campenaerts completed his Tactics change and the Belgian duo. Can run 25 kilometers.
Meanwhile, Movistar, Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Groupama – FDJ and EF Education – EasyPost have organized themselves in the destroyed field. Half of the escapees were caught on the last climb of the day, Hulstbergstraat, 16 kilometers from the finish. Only Campenaerts, Vanmarcke, Coquard, Turgis, Pedersen and Oldani held. Bora – hansgrohe joined the pursuit, so six people were caught in the last eleven kilometers.
The final race seemed impossible, but with 2.2 kilometers to go, the Movistar rider crashed at the front in a narrow corner, wet with rain, taking many rivals with him, leaving only about 15 riders to win. Ramon Sinkeldam (Groupama – FDJ) started the run for Démare, Kanter came up from his rear wheel, but Meeus was faster and managed to beat both.
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