Valgren Andersen catches Belgians by surprise in opening Spring Classic
The Danish cyclist Michael Valgren Andersen has won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad cycle race. The race that is the first of a series a Flemish Spring Classic races opens the cycling season.
The Astana cyclist slipped way from the leading pack in the closing stages of the race, winning with a time of 4 hours, 52 minutes and 2 seconds.
Team Sky’s Lukasz Wiśniowski was second with Sep Vanmarcke being the first Belgian to finish. The EP Drapac rider came in third.
This was the 73rd time that the race formerly Omloop Het Volk was ridden.
The Omloop Het Volk
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, previously Omloop Het Volk, is a one-day cycling race held annually in late February.
It is the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Northwest Europe. Since last year the race has been part of the UCI World Tour, cycling's top-tier professional events.