(March 17, 2021 – Nokere) – Ludovic Robeet (BEL) joined the breakaway of the day after 60 kilometers and dropped his companions one by one, with Damien Gaudin being the last in the final 2 kilometers. The sprinter teams could not organize themselves in a tough race with many cobblestones.

Wind, rain, and cobblestones: a tough edition of Nokere Koerse was requested and was also delivered.

Only after 60 kilometers and a very fast opening hour did 8 escapees receive the peloton’s approval.

4 Belgians were on board: Ludovic Robeet (Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles), Aaron Van Poucke and Ward Vanhoof (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), and Sébastien Grignard (Lotto-Soudal).

With a mere 5 minutes, their margin wasn’t too big, but the chase in the peloton—which was quickly thinned out by attrition—was never really a well-oiled machine.

Among others, Sep Vanmarcke, Jasper Philipsen, and Edward Theuns regularly showed themselves, but it was too much stop-and-go.

On one of the numerous cobblestone sections, Damien Gaudin (Total Direct Energie) and Robeet thinned out the leading group, and the duo was determined not to give up.

Their balloon did not deflate, but the peloton’s did. More and more sprinters showed their true colors, and in the battlefield, Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick Step) fell.

The surprising winner was chosen from the leading duo, and with a strong move 2 kilometers from the finish, Robeet threw his French companion overboard.

The 26-year-old Robeet, winner of a stage in the 2019 Coppi e Bartali Cycling Week, finished very strongly. Gaudin was 2nd, Luca Mozzato won the sprint of the defeated.

(Report Sporza)

Danilith Nokere Koerse ME 2021 (1.Pro)
Results (195km)

1
Ludovic Robeet
Bingoal – Wallonie Bruxelles
4:36:44
2
Damien Gaudin
Team Total Direct Energie
0:03
3
Luca Mozzato
B&B Hotels p/b KTM
0:05
4
Jordi Meeus
BORA – hansgrohe
,,
5
Tom Van Asbroeck
Israel Start-Up Nation
,,
6
Jake Stewart
Groupama – FDJ
,,
7
Max Walscheid
Team Qhubeka ASSOS
,,
8
Kristoffer Halvorsen
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
,,
9
Jhonatan Narváez
INEOS Grenadiers
,,
10
Rudy Barbier
Israel Start-Up Nation
,,

Thibault Ferasse winner of the Pur Natur mountain prize worth 1,500 euros.