After his third place in the GP de Denain, Frenchman Adrien Petit didn’t save his energy and joined the early breakaway in the Bredene-Koksijde Classic (1.Pro) this Friday. A double passage on the Kemmelberg and a crossing of the open fields in the Moeren were on the menu of the day.
Behind Petit, his teammates showed a strong cohesion by joining counterattacks in the hills zone. For example, Barnabás Peák was a in a chasing group of six riders. Then, the rest of the team united forces to catch a group of twenty riders who escaped in the Moeren.
Meanwhile, Adrien Petit continued his effort in the lead of the race for more than 180 kilometer. Immediately after being caught, the rider from Arras joined the sprint train of Gerben Thijssen. The Belgian sprinter, who suffered from back pain since a crash earlier in the race, crossed the line in fifth place. He took his second top five after his fourth place in the GP Monseré at the beginning of March.
I crashed hard on my back and it took me quite some energy to close the 2 minute gap to the peloton with the help of Tom Devriendt. With perseverance I survived the hill zone and encouraged myself to believe in a good outcome in the sprint. After the preparation of our sprint train I gave all I had and sprinted to fifth place, which is satisfying giving the circumstances. Just like in the GP Monseré, a minor setback made the difference between finishing on or next to the podium which is rather encouraging for my next goal in De Panne next Wednesday. I feel faster and stronger than ever before, it is obvious that I made a step forward in the difficult spring classics. The confidence I receive from the whole team makes a world of difference.
