Anders Foldager Wins Flèche Brabançonne, Benoît Cosnefroy Third

Anders Foldager of Team Jayco-AlUla secured a stunning solo sprint victory at De Brabantse Pijl-La Flèche Brabançonne 2026, outpacing a reduced field in the final dash to the line in Overijse. The Danish rider timed his effort to perfection after a late breakaway was reeled in with just two kilometres remaining. Mauro Schmid of UAE Team Emirates-XRG led the chase, closing down the attackers before Foldager launched his decisive move from a deep position. “I was a little too far back at the bottom of the climb,” Foldager said after crossing the line. “Mauro Schmid did the perfect run-in, closing the breakaway. I had to go long because they opened it up from the bottom of the climb. As soon as I hit the front, there was nothing to do apart from set the head down and sprint.” Foldager held off Quinten Hermans of Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling for second place, with Benoît Cosnefroy of UAE Team Emirates-XRG taking third and Romain Grégoire of Groupama-FDJ United finishing fourth. Eduard Prades of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA completed the top five. The victory marks Foldager’s biggest career win to date and only his second as a professional rider. Speaking afterward, he admitted the result exceeded his expectations. “I knew this was the perfect race for me. It is by far the biggest win, so yeah, I surprised myself. It is a punchy, hard race, not too long and then an uphill finish was quite good.” Cosnefroy, who had targeted a strong result in the Ardennes classic, expressed disappointment at missing the podium places he had come close to in previous editions. “Très déçu de faire troisième,” he told reporters at the finish, reflecting on his sixth participation and fifth podium finish at the race. The 66th edition of La Flèche Brabançonne saw a tactical battle unfold on the S-Bocht Overijse climb, with teams positioning for the uphill finish. Foldager’s patient ride and explosive finish ultimately made the difference in a race that has become a key early-season test for puncheurs and classics specialists. His triumph adds momentum to Jayco-AlUla’s Ardennes campaign and underscores the team’s growing presence in one-day races across Europe. For Cosnefroy, the result extends his impressive consistency at the event, even as he fell short of the top step this year.