Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2023 February 26, 196 km (1.Pro)

[Netserk]

Similar route to last year's edition, which abandoned Kwaremont and had more Walloon climbs.

Interactive Map

Itinéraire

1. Tiegemberg	1400m - gem. 4% - max. 8%	km 17,1 - 176,0 to go
2. Katteberg	900m - gem. 5,6% - max. 10,3%	km 35,2 - 157,9 to go
3. Boembeek	1100m - gem. 4,8% - max. 8,2%	km 56,6 - 136,5 to go
4. Bossenaarstraat	1300m - gem. 5,6% - max. 9%	km 75,0 - 118,1 to go
5. Berg Ten Houte	1100m - gem. 6,2% - max. 13%	km 78,4 - 114,7 to go
6. La Houppe	1880m - gem. 4,8% - max. 10%	km 83,5 - 109,6 to go
7. Hameau des Papin	1200m - gem. 6,6% - max. 16,2%	km 101,4 - 91,7 to go
8. Le Bourliquet	1300m - gem. 6,8% - max. 15,3%	km 110,3 - 82,8 to go
9. Mont Saint-Laurent	1300m - gem. 7,8% - max. 17%	km 115,3 - 77,8 to go
10. Kruisberg	1400m - gem. 5,3% - max. 10,9 %	km 124,9 - 68,2 to go
11. Hotond	1200m - gem. 3,1% - max. 9 %	km 126,1 - 67,0 to go
12. Cote du Trieu	1260m - gem. 7% - max. 13%	km 133,5 - 59,6 to go
13. Kluisberg	1100m - gem. 6% - max. 11%	km 140,8 - 52,3 to go

Official Startlist

Wind forecast (16:00 CET):

 

[Valanga]

I guess Lotto will start to realise they'll have to go all in on De Lie now?

In that case I can't see anyone else take the win.

 

[Samamba]

I guess Lotto will start to realise they'll have to go all in on De Lie now?

In that case I can't see anyone else take the win.

Watch Jumbo find a way to destroy everyone.

Plus if it's sprint with a bigger group like Kuurne usually is, guys like Jakobsen and Philipsen will be there. It's also always a pretty chaotic sprint so there's a lot of ways for De Lie to lose this. Let's see how his knee feels tmrw. He said he was fine but it looked pretty nasty.

 

[Lequack]

Kristoff will win this easily.

 

[Valanga]

Watch Jumbo find a way to destroy everyone.

Plus if it's sprint with a bigger group like Kuurne usually is, guys like Jakobsen and Philipsen will be there. It's also always a pretty chaotic sprint so there's a lot of ways for De Lie to lose this. Let's see how his knee feels tmrw. He said he was fine but it looked pretty nasty.

Yes ok, you are correct. I can see someone else win it. ;⁠-⁠)
But what a beast this De Lie.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

There are generally only two outcomes at KBK.

1. Total weather related carnage
2. Some battling and speculative moves on the hills and then it coming back together for a sprint.

I liked the change of route because it means more of the climbs that the riders don't do in a dozen different races but it's hard to do much with that long flat run-in.

 

[Netserk]

There are generally only two outcomes at KBK.

1. Total weather related carnage
2. Some battling and speculative moves on the hills and then it coming back together for a sprint.

I liked the change of route because it means more of the climbs that the riders don't do in a dozen different races but it's hard to do much with that long flat run-in.

We haven't really seen 1. since the crosswinds of 2014. Since then only 4 out of 8 editions have been a bunch sprint.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Wind from the northeast tomorrow, which means crosswind on the all-important stretch from the hills to Kuurne but headwind on Mont-Saint-Laurent and Trieu. The forecasts don't seem to agree on how strong the wind will be, echelons if we're lucky.

 

[Samamba]

The biggest problem is that there are too many teams that really want a sprint. Lotto, QS, Bora, Alpecin, ... A few years back QS often didn't want a sprint so they found a way to not have a bunch sprint but it seems it's harder for Jumbo now cause there's to many decent teams that want one.

If the predictions are correct, echelons should be possible tho. Expect De Lie jumping from the second to first group at some point.

 

[yaco]

This is a big race for Jakobsen - Merlier has got the jump over Jakobsen in terms of wins and form and is putting his hand up for the TDF.

 

[DNP-Old]

KBK for juniors is also tomorrow. As mentioned in the junior thread, all my money is on either Steffen de Schuyteneer (AG2R) and Sente Sentjens (Tormans, Alpecin in 2024). AG2R is stacked to the brim, you could genuinely name them all. Looking at Oscar Chamberlain in particular, but Antoine L'Hote and Matys Grisel are also very good, as are the first years Baptiste Gregoire (little brother of Romain) and Xander Scheldeman. Tormans has the very promising first years Senna Remijn and Jasper Schoofs in their ranks, as well as Liam Van Bylen. Few more Belgians to look at are Jarno Widar, Lars Vanden Heede and Cedric Keppens. The latter is a threat to win imo despite just being a first year.

Great Britain, through a multitude of teams, have some really good riders present. Fenshaw have Jacob Bush, Matthew Brennan, Ben Wiggins (son of) and Jed Smithson. Smithson is a funny rider. First of all he is really, really fast and looks like he could be the son of Marcel Kittel, but has godawful eye sight and rides around with genuine jam pots. Elliot Rowe and Sam Fisher are two incredibly talented first years with Anexo. There is also a certain Finlay Tarling, the little brother of Josh, with WWV. Finlay crushed the 10 mile TT set by Josh last year, oof. Few Dutchies in the mix too, like Mees Vlot or Thom van der Werff. Erazem Valjavec (son of) is also debuting here, but he is a climber type and has the much better Zak Erzen to work for. There's another son of in Diego Charteau, but you can just forget him most likely. Should be a good race.

 

[Berniece]

If the predictions are correct, echelons should be possible tho. Expect De Lie jumping from the second to first group at some point.

Behind the team car again? /jk

Eager to see De Lie sprint against Philipsen and Jakobsen. Proper test to see if he improved over the winter as a sprinter. If his knee isn't too bad.

 

[KZD]

Behind the team car again? /jk

Eager to see De Lie sprint against Philipsen and Jakobsen. Proper test to see if he improved over the winter as a sprinter. If his knee isn't too bad.

The way Jakobsen has been sprinting this season I think De Lie is faster, Philipsen is a bit of an unknown but should give De Lie a run for his money and then there is always Kristoff.

 

[Netserk]

Domestique

@Domestique___
·
1h

#KBK23 - 183 km Names of riders who hit the deck: Tratnik (Jumbo) Sagiv (IPT) Malucelli (Bingoals) Baroncini (Trek) All are back on their bikes and continuing. #Domestiquelive

...

Baroncini later abandoned.

 

[Netserk]

Domestique

@Domestique___
·
4m

#KBK23 - 109km The peloton are starting to ramp up the pace! Ineos are active at the front, gap down to 5 minutes. #DomestiqueLive

 

[Netserk]

We are live!

 

[Samamba]

Philipsen down hard. Seems somewhat ok tho.

 

[Netserk]

Crash in the peloton! 3 Alpecin riders down, including Philipsen.

 

[Salvarani]

Philipsen crashed

 

[Netserk]

No cars behind the first peloton, nor behind the little group behind them.

 

[Netserk]

Kristoff caught behind the split.

 

[Netserk]

Casper Pedersen and Yves Lampaert are also out of the game.

 

[Netserk]

After Le Bourliquet and on Mont Saint-Laurent they will face a headwind, but not yet.

 

[RedheadDane]

That doesn't look good...

 

[Salvarani]

JV going crazy