The fourth edition of Nokere Koerse for juniors has been won by Briton Alex Haines. Ireland’s Finley Newmark sprinted to second place. Milan Fretin delivered the best Belgian performance with a strong third place, despite a significant setback early in the race.

In the 15th kilometer, Fretin was caught in a crash involving about twenty riders. “Fortunately, I wasn’t injured, but my bike was stuck,” he says. “After the bike change, I had to close a gap of more than two minutes. I managed to do that, and I was able to rejoin the chasing peloton.”

Early in the race, a breakaway group of four riders emerged, but with four laps to go, everything came back together. At the start of the five local laps on the Nokereberg, Fretin had a second bike change. “With my own bike, I was able to go all out again,” said the rider from Limburg.

In the penultimate lap, a decisive breakaway group of five formed, featuring two Britons, Fretin’s teammate Alex Vandenbulcke, Lennert Van Eetvelt, and Fretin himself. They gained a half-minute lead and stayed ahead until the finish. “I finished third, and I am more than satisfied with that,” Fretin concludes.

Winner Alex Haines was naturally elated:
“It was a tough race; the course and the wind made it even harder. In the final, a group of five emerged, in which we worked together perfectly. At the bottom of the Nokereberg, I knew there were opportunities, but that I would actually win… I am still surprised and extremely happy about that!”