Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne 2019 odds
Who wins Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne 2019?
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2019
The Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (known as the ‘KBK’) is a one-day professional road cycling race in Belgium. Hosted annually, it features just one day after the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on the racing calendar, rounding off an exciting opening weekend of professional cycling racing in Belgium - called the Flemish Opening Weekend. This year, the 71st edition of the race will be held on Sunday 3rd March 2019.
The KBK is part of the UCI Europe Tour. With three titles to his name, retired Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen has won the race more than any other rider, with victories in 2007, 2009 and 2014. Since it began, a Belgian rider has won the race 53 times, making Belgium the most successful country at the KBK by far. No rider has ever won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the KBK on the same weekend.
The current champion is Dylan Groenewegen (Team Team Jumbo-Visma), who sprinted to victory ahead of Arnaud Démare (Team Groupama - FDJ) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Merida Pro Cycling Team) last year.
The KBK 2019 race
The one-day race features the iconic start on the hippodrome of Kuurne, in the southern region of West Flanders. The route takes the peloton towards the direction of Brussels and then the rolling hills of the Flemish Ardennes. The race normally finishes in Kuurne, totally around 200 km.
While the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is traditionally more hilly, the KBK features a long, fast and flat finish. That’s why the sprinters will be lining up to battle it out for the 2019 title. Through the Ardennes, the teams will be looking to help their sprinters stay in contention and get a good position in the pack - unless there is a breakaway, which will result in the pack trying to close the gap to ensure a sprint finish.
The end of the KBK is usually a frantic finish!
The 2019 favourites
Because the KBK classic is known as a sprinters classic, sprinters will obviously be the favourites, along with some of the top one-day classics riders. Prior to Groenewegen’s title in 2018, winners include former World Champion Peter Sagan (Team BORA - hansgrohe) in 2017, Jasper Stuyven (Team Trek - Segafredo) who won in 2016 and Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data) in 2015.
British sprinter Mark Cavendish is the only cyclist with two race titles under his belt and he could join Tom Boonen as the most successful cyclist in the history of the KBK if he races.
Groenewegen will be hoping to claim the title for the second year running, but challengers this year include Greg van Avermaet (Team CCC), current World Champion Alejandro Valverde (Team Movistar), sprinter Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb), last year’s podium finisher Arnaud Demare and the German sprint beast Andre Greipel (Team Arkéa Samsic).