Wändel triomphes in the Men U19’s race
After a strong solo, Elias Wändel claimed victory at the Tour of Flanders Men U19. In the sprint of the chasing group, his teammates Malthe Risbjerg and Mauro Keppens took second and third place.
At 16.00, the Men U19 got underway for the final race of the Tour of Flanders Youth Day. The riders set off on a 124-km course, with multiple passages of the Achterberg, the Holleweg and the Wolvenberg.
The pace was exceptionally high from the start. Several riders attempted to break away in the early stages, but to no avail. It was not until the third local lap that Retho (Cref PDL) and Woolley (WMV Hagens Berman – Jayco) managed to break away. After 65 km, the duo had built a 40-second lead over a thinned-out peloton of around forty riders.
On the third climb up the Wolvenberg, the breakaway’s lead quickly reduced, and De Bois (Crabbé-DSTNY) used the pair as a springboard to launch his solo attack. The Belgian soon built up a comfortable lead but was caught 30 kilometres from the finish by a chasing group of seven riders.
With one lap to go, a leading group of eight entered the final with a 45-second lead: Keppens, Wändel and Risbjerg (Jegg – Skill – DJR), Hincapie and Tjumins (Team Grenke Auto Eder), Hovers and Van den Biggelaar (WWV Hagens Berman Jayco) and De Bois (Crabbé-Dstny).
For Wändel (Jegg – Skill – DJR), the pace was not yet high enough, so he accelerated on the final climb up the Achterberg. The rest let him go, and the Swede quickly built up a lead of more than 20 seconds. In the chase, Hincapie was forced to drop back after a puncture. However, the American managed to rejoin the group in the final stretch, alongside his teammate Willems and the Ukrainian Shcherbatskyi (Canibal B Victorious).
This regrouping brought fresh momentum into the chase. Although Wändel’s lead narrowed to a nail-biting margin right at the end, the Swede managed to secure a convincing victory. After a solo ride of around 20 km, he was able to celebrate victory, and as the icing on the cake, his teammates Risbjerg and Keppens took second and third place respectively.
