Dylan Groenewegen reels in late attackers to win GP Jean-Pierre Monseré

We had barely recovered from Milan-Sanremo, but Sunday still offered cycling fans another hit of Belgian racing. GP Jean-Pierre Monseré was on the programme, giving the sprinters another chance to make their mark in Belgium. But racing in Belgium also means cobbles and short climbs, so this was never going to be a straightforward day for the fast men.

With riders such as Pascal Ackermann, Milan Fretin, Matteo Moschetti, the in-form Groenewegen and returning Tim Merlier at the start, the race looked set to end in a bunch sprint. That prospect clearly discouraged the attackers early on, because no breakaway managed to go clear in the opening phase. The peloton crossed the Gitsberg, the day’s small but meaningful obstacle, all together on the first laps.

Only later did the race begin to open up. Unibet Rose Rockets did not want to rely solely on Groenewegen and sent both Wessel Mouris and Martijn Rasenberg up the road. They were soon joined by around ten other riders, but the bunch never gave them much room and quickly brought them back. Later on, Sente Sentjens (Alpecin-Premier Tech) did manage to get away on the cobbles, taking Kamil Małecki with him.

With 30 kilometres to go, the leaders’ advantage remained slim, thanks in part to the work of Soudal Quick-Step in the peloton. It looked as though the race was heading toward a sprint, but Jayco AlUla had other ideas. In a remarkable move, sprinter Ackermann himself launched an attack together with teammate Dries De Bondt. They were joined by Zak Erzen (Bahrain Victorious), Simon Dehairs (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Stan Van Tricht (Soudal Quick-Step).

With 30 kilometres to go, the leaders’ advantage remained slim, thanks in part to the work of Soudal Quick-Step in the peloton. It looked as though the race was heading toward a sprint, but Jayco AlUla had other ideas. In a remarkable move, sprinter Ackermann himself launched an attack together with teammate Dries De Bondt. They were joined by Zak Erzen (Bahrain Victorious), Simon Dehairs (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Stan Van Tricht (Soudal Quick-Step).

It stayed tense all the way into the final kilometre. Lotto-Intermarché and the Rockets began to show themselves more and more at the front, and little by little the gap came down. Groenewegen was delivered perfectly for the finish, but had the bunch left it too late? Dehairs opened the sprint from the front, only to be caught right on the line by a flying Groenewegen, who made it two wins in a row.