Kuurne Race Report: As expected, the 2025 Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne came down to a bunch sprint. Fairly unsurprisingly, it was Jasper Philipsen who was perfectly piloted to the finish-line by his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates to take the win. He soundly beat young Olav Kooij of Visma | Lease a Bike and Hugo Hofstetter (IPT).
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Kuurne’25 finale
Jasper Philipsen gave himself a fantastic birthday present. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, turned 27 today, won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in a bunch sprint, he was too fast for Olav Kooij and Hugo Hofstetter.
Happy birthday Jasper
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne Parcours
Not much has changed on the route of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, or more like Kortrijk-Brussel-Kuurne. The start is in Kortrijk, which is not far from Kuurne. In the first part of the race, one hill has gone, but a similar one has been added. This ensures that the race is still almost 200 kilometres long. The finale is exactly the same as last year. It is certain that the Hainaut triptych of newcomers with Hameau des Papins (1,200 metres, average 6.6%, max. of 16.2%), Le Bourliquet (1,300 metres, average 6.8%, max. 15.3%) and Mont Saint-Laurent (1,300 metres, average 7.8% max. 17%) – together with the subsequent final section with the Hotond, the Côte de Trieu or the Knokteberg and the Kluisberg – can turn the race upside down again.
Kuurne’25 map
There are thirteen climbs in the route. The first is the Tiegemberg after just 17.5 kilometres. After an intermediate section, the cobbled climbs will follow each other in quick succession after 70 kilometres of racing. The Bossenaarstraat, the Berg Ten Houte and La Houppe. The five-hundred-meter long Beerbosstraat, 34 kilometres from the finish, is the last cobbled section and a big obstacle before the finish. Then, via the hilly Sint-Denijs, the race heads towards Kuurne, where the finish line is crossed after 184.2 kilometres. There is a finishing circuit of 12.5 kilometres through Kortrijk and Harelbeke. In the finish, the sprinter’s team could pull the race back together.
Kuurne’25 profile
The Climbs:
Tiegemberg (1,400 m at 4%) – after 17.5 km
Volkegemberg (1000 m at 5.1%) – after 35.6 km
Boembeek (1100 m at 4.8%) – after 55.1 km
Bossenaarstraat (1,300 m at 5.6%) – after 70.6 km
Berg Ten Houte (1,100 m at 6.2%) – after 74.3 km
La Houppe (1,880 m at 4.8%) – after 81.3 km
Hameau des Papins (1,200 m at 6.6%) – after 99.1 km
Le Bourliquet (1,300 m at 6.8%) – after 107.5 km
Mont Saint Laurent (1,300 m at 7.8%) – after 112.6 km
Kruisberg (1,400 m at 4.8%) – after 121.5 km
Hotond (1,200 m at 3.1%) – after 123.2 km
Côte de Trieu/Knokteberg (1,260 m at 7%) – after 130.7 km
Kluisberg (1,100 m at 6%) – after 138.1 km.
Wout van Aert will be hoping for better legs today
It took almost 50 kilometres before the ‘break of the day’ managed to get away: Huub Artz (Intermarché-Wanty), Tomáš Kopecký (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R), Ward Vanhoof (Flanders-Baloise), Marius Mayrhofer (Tudor), Ceriel Desal and Axandre Van Petegem (Wagner Bazin WB), the son of former classics specialist Peter Van Petegem. They built up a lead of almost 5 minutes.
It was fast from the gun
The difference had been reduced to less than 4 minutes when there was some action on the Hameau des Papins (1,2km at 6.6%). Jan Tratnik crashed, while Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Timo Kielich (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Emirates-XRG) went on the attack. Riders at the back were being dropped, including Søren Wærenskjold, the winner of the Omloop on Saturday, there were 95 kilometres still to go.
3rd on Saturday in the Omloop – Can Jasper Philipsen finish higher in Kuurne?
Due to a puncture for Kielich, there were only two counter-attackers left. At Le Bourliquet (1,3Km at 6.8%), Matteo Jorgenson put the hammer down in the peloton. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider caused the peloton to split, but it all came together again going towards the Mont Saint Laurent (1,3km at 7.8%). There, Tim Wellens forced the pace. He rode with Jonas Abrahamsen and Stan Dewulf to Askey, who had to let Narváez go.
The ‘Break of the Day’
Over the summit, Wout van Aert also crossed to them with about ten other riders. They also picked up Narváez. This group dropped back into the peloton in the run-up to the Kruisberg. Then, on the Hotond, Van Aert made another attempt to get away. He looked to be riding better than the day before in the Omloop, but he couldn’t break away. So, it was a large peloton that headed to the Côte de Trieu. The leading group of seven started the penultimate climb with a lead of almost 1 minute.
Maybe not spring yet in Flanders
Two riders were between the leading group and the peloton: Wellens had attacked on the climb and was at the top with Stefan Bissegger, who had escaped earlier. They then caught the dropped Artz and joined the seven leaders just before the Kluisberg. Behind; Van Aert, who had to chase back when the peloton split, went on the attack. Only Roger Adrià could follow the Belgian. The Spaniard of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe didn’t work, so Van Aert had to do it all to get across to the leaders.
Quite a smattering of cobbled climbs today
Van Aert was unable to catch them without help. After chasing for almost 10 kilometres, he gave up. The two dropped back into the peloton with 50 kilometres to go. Tim Merlier’s Soudal Quick-Step team was now leading. Aided by Jonathan Milan’s Lidl-Trek, Jordi Meeus’ Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and eventually Milan Fretin’s Cofidis, they kept the gap to the nine leaders short. The difference fluctuated between 30 and 40 seconds.
Wellens made it over to the break
The collaboration in the break had fallen to pieces. First there was an attack by De Bondt, and then Wellens. This led to thinning out at the front. De Bondt and Wellens remained with Mayrhofer and Desal. They held out until about 12 kilometres from the finish, just after the passage through finish. After that, the peloton could prepare for a bunch sprint. Three kilometres from the finish, there was a crash involving Matevž Govekar, who tried to dodge a warning flag.
Olav Kooij would be Visma’s man for a bunch sprint
The stage was set for a bunch sprint, involving Merlier, Milan, Meeus, Fretin, Kooij, Philipsen and Van den Berg. Van den Berg was at the front with one kilometre to go on the wheel of a teammate, but then it was Visma | Lease a Bike who came through. First Van Aert, then Jorgenson, but Alpecin-Deceuninck stormed to the front for Jasper Philipsen.
A perfect lead-out for Jasper Philipsen
The men in grey led-out Philipsen perfectly and he finished off the work of his teammates. Olav Kooij was close, but couldn’t get next to the Belgian. Philipsen won the second day of the Opening Weekend, after his third place in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Olav Kooij had to settle for second, Hugo Hofstetter was third.
3rd and 1st – A good Opening weekend for Philipsen
Race winner, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “It is incredible to win on my 27th birthday. Maybe that extra year gave me some extra strength. We had a very strong team in the final. Without them it would not have been possible. I knew that the chance of a sprint was big. There was some action in the hilly zone, but a large peloton always stayed together, fighting to come back. It was very difficult to come back. To be honest, my legs were not as good as yesterday on the hills. In previous years, the Opening Weekend was never really a success. Yesterday was a day with mixed feelings, but to win today, on my birthday, makes it extra special. We had one of our strongest lead-outs, with Jonas Rickaert and Kaden. Normally he can also win sprints himself, at the highest level. It’s super nice to get this on the same page and win the race as a team. I think Groves will also go to the Tour this year. Normally we have a really good combo. During the race I asked how everyone was feeling, but everyone had already lost their best legs. In the original plan, Kaden, if he had felt great, could have taken his chance. But everyone was a bit out of their best strength. But on the flat we can always do our thing.”
The Kuurne’25 Podium: Olav Kooij, Jasper Philipsen and Hugo Hofstetter
# All the news from the Opening Weekend in EUROTRASH Monday. #
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne Result:
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck in 4:42:24
2. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
3. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Israel-Premier Tech
4. Arne Marit (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty
5. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor
6. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek
7. Marijn van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-EasyPost
8. Pavel Bittner (CZ) Team Picnic PostNL
9. Lukas Kubis (Slov) Unibet Tietema Rockets
10. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck.
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