‘This is the confirmation,’ say Visma | Lease a Bike after Per Strand Hagenes’ epic victory

We already wrote that the Antwerp Port Epic truly lived up to its name on Monday. The way Per Strand Hagenes claimed victory was, at the very least, epic. The young Norwegian was over the moon afterwards, and his team particularly enjoyed the way it all unfolded. Read on for an afternoon at the Antwerp Port Epic, through the eyes of the winner.

The Belgian semi-classics' route, packed with cobbles and gravel sectors, is naturally made for attacking riders. Hagenes had already shown himself to belong to that category, especially in the finale. He won the Münsterland Giro in October 2023 with a late attack.

That was also the young Norwegian’s last professional victory until Monday. "I’m super happy with this. It’s been a while since I last won a race, so finally getting it done gives a very good feeling," Hagenes said afterwards on his team’s website.

It is reward for hard work, as he has already put together some fine results this year. The Visma talent suddenly became second at the E3 Saxo Classic. "This season has been going really well. I’ve managed to reach a high level throughout the spring, but it had not yet resulted in a victory. These kinds of races suit me well, and I’m happy I was able to finish it off today".

He did that after making the move with a strong group, around 40 kilometres from the finish. He tried to ride clear once, but without success. "It was a very nice day. I started attacking early because I felt I had good legs. A few of my breakaway companions were not too pleased about that, but I felt I had to give it a go".

In the final kilometre, the Norwegian made another attempt. "By then I was perfectly positioned and rode as hard as I could to the line. Luckily, I managed to hold on," Hagenes said after the fourth victory of his career . For Visma | Lease a Bike, it was already their 20th win of the calendar year .

For sports director Maarten Wynants, it is above all the manner of the win that will stay with him. "Per played it very maturely. The last eight kilometres were on wide roads, which made it a bit of a gamble. From the moment he had a gap, I knew nobody would be able to close it. He did it very well".

"This is the confirmation of what he has shown in the spring," the sports director continued. "We all know how strong he is, but now it is really all coming out at the highest level. Everyone contributed their bit. We made a plan together and the guys executed it excellently. That is what I love about this victory".