OPENINGThe 85th Circuit Franco-Belge, a UCI ProSeries 1.Pro one-day race, ran 195.6 km from Tournai to a finishing circuit at Mont-de-l'Enclus with 25 teams on the line — ten WorldTeams, twelve ProTeams and three Continental squads. A ten-rider break went clear early; the move was reeled in gradually, with Alexis Brunel the last survivor caught before the race tipped into a phase of relentless counterattacks.
UNFOLDSThe decisive churn began with around 61 km to go, when Leander Van Hautegem attacked and was joined by Wilco Kelderman, the pair opening more than a minute. Van Hautegem cracked on the Col du Horlitin at roughly 41 km to go, leaving Kelderman alone out front. At about 26.5 km a counter of Johan Jacobs, Colby Simmons and Dries De Bondt bridged across, reaching Kelderman as the final lap began near 22.7 km to go — but the peloton was only some 17 seconds back, and the escape was living on borrowed time.
DECIDEDOn the Mont-de-l'Enclus climbs the race was thinned rather than blown apart by a single move. De Bondt tried again with a handful of riders but was shut down before the climb, and Visma-Lease a Bike countered with Louis Barré driving the pace to grind down the fast finishers and shed the move. That set up a reduced lead group for the uphill drag to the line, where Soudal-Quick-Step massed at the front to deliver Paul Magnier.
FINALENSN's Riley Sheehan brought Corbin Strong up early in the closing metres, and the New Zealander launched first on the rising finish. Magnier faded as the sprint wound out while Anders Foldager surged late, coming past for second; Strong held on to take it by a bike length. The top nine were all credited with the same 4h 32' 18" — Pluimers fourth and Berckmoes fifth completing the front — with Alexandre Delettre the first rider at a gap, 10th at +0:03.