Two weeks after his third place on the Champs-Elysées, Alexander Kristoff returned on the podium in the Tour of Leuven - Memorial Jef Scherens, his first race since the Tour de France.
The former European champion won the sprint for third place behind Campenaerts and Stybar, who attacked in the penultimate lap on the city parcours in Leuven.
His teammates Loïc Vliegen was the first one to start the chase behind the early breakaway, joining them with eight other riders with around 50 kilometer to go.
The Norwegian rider then took initiative 30 kilometer before the finish, an acceleration causing many splits in the peloton. Just before making the junction, Campenaerts and Stybar escaped from the rest of the leading group.
With this third place, Alexander Kristoff achieves his fourteenth podium of the season. Thus, the World Team appears on the podium of this race for the sixth time in the last seven editions.
« I concluded the Tour de France in a good shape and this was translated in an excellent feeling today. I attacked several times because I remembered the parcours of the previous World Championships, where I made the mistake to stay in the back hoping to save energy. But it is impossible to hide because there are so many corners and it is up and down all the time. I learned a lesson, I had to take initiative and that's why I raced in the front today. This third place is a good sign for the next races, because August will be busy. The victory was possible today, but therefore a better cooperation was necessary in the chasing group. I'll have a new chance this Wednesday in the Eurometropole Tour, where I hope to end on a higher step of the podium. »
