By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 1 hour ago, Updated now
Benoît Cosnefroy winner of the Flèche Brabançonne this Wednesday. DAVID PINTENS / AFP
The Decathlon team runner won the Belgian semi-classic.
Always placed but never winning over the last four years, Frenchman Benoît Cosnefroy has “Finally” won the Flèche Brabançonne, a Belgian semi-classic which makes the transition between the Flandrian and Ardennes races, Wednesday in Overijse (center).
The rider from the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale team, who was part of a group of seven breakaways, beat the Belgians Dylan Teuns and Tim Wellens in a hill sprint.
The 28-year-old puncher succeeds his compatriot and teammate Dorian Godon on the list and signs his fourth success in Flemish Brabant this season.
During the last five editions of the Belgian event, Cosnefroy has ranked in the top-5 four times: 2nd in 2022, 3rd in 2020 and 2023 and therefore winner this time.
“I feel at home here and I’m finally establishing myself,” he confirmed. This morning, my legs were good. I was one of the favorites. I toughened up the race 30 miles from the finish. I was confident in my sprint but it’s never easy to win a race.”.
“I put myself in the wheel of Dylan (Teuns) who I had identified as the fastest of the group. There was a headwind and I managed to take shelter and gain speed in the last few meters.he continued.
“This gives me confidence for the Ardennaises (the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday then the Flèche wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège the following week)”concluded the Norman who became the sixth Frenchman to win in Overijse after successes notably by Sylvain Chavanel (2008), Thomas Voeckler (2012) and Julian Alaphilippe (2020).
This success for Cosnefroy also confirms his team’s excellent start to the season. The Decathlon AG2R-La Mondiale team, currently 5th in the UCI rankings (which it finished in 18th position only in 2023), now has nine successes since the start of the year, as many as last season as a whole.
