Following an exciting race, Anders Foldager secured an impressive second place in the Circuit Franco-Belge.
The 24-year-old Dane from Team Jayco AlUla narrowly missed out on victory in the uphill sprint, finishing just behind winner Corbin Strong.
A breakaway group of ten riders dominated the early part of the race, but given the size of the group, teams felt it was too risky to let them gain a significant lead. With 70 kilometres to go, the peloton was back together.
After that, there was no calm in the peloton; the pace was high and attacks came thick and fast. Dries De Bondt was undoubtedly one of the riders who accelerated the most frequently.
The attackers sensed opportunities for success on the selective course in the final. The local circuit, which had to be completed six times, included the Cote du Trieu and the Cote de l’Horlitin.
In the end, no one managed to break away from the peloton. A fairly compact bunch of around forty riders battled for victory.
In the uphill sprint, Foldager had to hold back briefly, which disrupted his sprint. Nevertheless, he secured a fantastic second place.
Anders Foldager
“It was a stressful day today and the pace was constantly high. I tried to save as much energy as possible and go into the final as fresh as I could. Dries De Bondt did a fantastic job; he rode aggressively and made the race hard. The final went well for me. I did everything I could in the uphill sprint to go for a good result. I think we can be happy with second place as a team. This is a strong way to round off the Belgian race block.”
Circuit Franco-Belge results
1. Corbin Strong 04:32:18
2. Anders Foldager (Team Jayco AlUla) st
3. Paul Magnier st
Photo: Sprint Cycling
