Kenny Dehaes of Lotto Soudal has won the GP Zottegem race in Belgium.
This 1.1 race on the UCI European Tour was first held in 1934 but the current Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem has only been in existence since 2002.
A race of 189kms comprising of one lap of 64kms, three of 22kms and two of 28kms, saw a five man break get caught before twenty seven riders formed a new one which was three minutes clear with 83 kilometres remaining.
The front group slimmed down to fourteen riders and included Kenny Dehaes, Van Goethem, Naesen, Wallays, Devriendt, Callebaut, Stallaert, Te Stroet, McNally, Van Zummeren, Van Brusseghem, Chevalier, Demoitie and Wouter Mol and with 65 kilometres left, they were some thirty seconds ahead of the AnPost Chain Reaction led peloton.
Van Goethem was dropped from the front group with thirty kilometres to go as behind them, the peloton split in several groups on the Paddestraat.
With fifteen kilometres to go, the front group was split by an attack from Naesen, Van Beuseghem, Demoitie and Dehaes. They were soon into a twenty second lead.
They were still thirty seconds clear going into the last three kilometres but the break kept their nerve and it was Kenny Dehaes who took the victory ahead of Antoine Demoitié & Olivier Naesens.
Source: DSG
