Jens Verbrugghe claimed the best result of his career as he sprinted to a memorable second place after a true day of racing in classic Wallonian conditions at Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic.
The 21-year-old Belgian was beaten by 34-time race winner Arnaud de Lie (LOI) in Marche-en-Famenne, but the NSN Devo Team rider was comfortably faster than established professional sprinters such as third-place finisher Matteo Moschetti and Tibor del Grosso.
Verbrugghe says: “To be on the podium in a race like this, here in Belgium and in Wallonia, is a really special feeling.
“I just had to focus on delivering the best sprint possible, and that’s what I did. I’m super happy — this one means a lot to me because I could sprint against some really strong riders, and it gives me a lot of confidence for the next races.
“It was a really nice race and I was hoping to get a big result today. We had rain almost the whole race, and then it dried up for the last lap. The team did an amazing job to protect me all day and position me at the key moments.”
As expected, the race followed a familiar pattern, with an early breakaway forming and holding a small but consistent gap throughout the day. Heading into the final kilometers, the advantage hovered around 20 to 30 seconds, keeping the outcome uncertain until the very end.
Only in the closing kilometer did the peloton finally bring the break back, setting up a fast and tense sprint finish in Marche-en-Famenne.
Despite starting his effort from further back, Verbrugghe – already a double stage winner in the Volta ao Alentejo this season – showed both patience and race intelligence, using the momentum of other teams to move up at the right moment before launching his sprint in the final meters.
Sports Director Tim Elverson adds: “We came with a clear plan for Jens, and everyone was fully committed. It would have been easy for the Devo riders to feel overwhelmed among WorldTour teams, but they executed really well to take a well-earned podium.”