Philipsen attacks from afar, but De Lie wins Binche-Chimay-Binche thanks to powerful sprint

The organizers had prepared a course of just under two hundred kilometers for the men, in between Chimay and Binche. The final eighty kilometers took place on a local circuit around Binche, which had to be ridden four times in full. In the windy south of Belgium, it was expected to be a chaotic race, which history indicates often ends in a sprint from a reduced group.

Early on, we saw a breakaway of six riders. Adrien Maire (TDT-Unitbet), Michiel Coppens (Cofidis), Michael Schwarzmann (Israel-Premier Tech), Iker Mintegi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Stijn Appel (BEAT Cycling Club) and Rindert Buiter (VolkerWessels) broke away and were allowed by the peloton to gain a few minutes. However, the pack kept them within striking distance during the intermediate phase.

The peloton calculated the escapees’ lead carefully and reeled them in early amidst some nervousness. By the fifty-kilometer mark, the six leaders had already been caught, and the pace remained relentlessly high. Meanwhile, we saw a few punctures here and there, including for Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) launched a solo attack with forty kilometers to go. Behind him, there was more tension in the peloton as the local circuit included an open section where the wind could play a role. Intermarché-Wanty tried to string things out first, but without success.

De Bondt was caught with thirty kilometers to go, sparking another wave of attacks. Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek), Antoine L'Hote (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Alessandro Covi (both UAE Team Emirates) were among those who attacked, with Covi particularly managing to build a significant gap.

Riding alone, Covi steadily built a thirty-second lead, even though the peloton was still pushing hard behind him. As the riders entered the final lap (of a little over fifteen kilometers), Covi maintained a twenty-second lead. However, with twelve kilometers remaining, despite help from Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), the Italian’s adventure came to an end. A brave attempt!

This set up a hectic finale, leading to a sprint in Binche. Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) had mechanical trouble for the second time, taking him out of contention for the sprint. Vito Braet (Intermarché-Wanty) also crashed in the finale, ruling him out as well.

Philipsen was well-positioned, but Danny van Poppel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) blasted past him. Philipsen briefly followed the Dutchman’s wheel before launching his own sprint. However, it was still quite a way to the finish line for the Flemish rider. From behind, De Lie unleashed a tremendous burst of speed. The Belgian champion powered past Philipsen and sprinted to victory. Girmay and Fretin also overtook the visibly frustrated Philipsen, earning their spots on the podium.