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Norway and Italy score rainbow jerseys on first day of Flanders 2021 road races

Eritrean Biniam Ghirmay earns silver in the U23 men's race

September 24, 2021
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Friday marked the first road races of the 2021 UCI Road World Championships in Flanders, Belgium, where two crash-heavy men’s contests produced rainbow jerseys for a Norway and Italy. Jumbo-Visma’s Per Strand Hagenes took the Junior men’s title and Trek-Segafredo’s Filippo Baroncini took the U23 men’s title. Just a day after Rwanda was named as host of the 2025 Worlds, Eritrean Biniam Ghirmay became the first Black African to medal in a road championship. The top Canadian on Friday was Junior Michael Leonard, 61st.

You can watch Flanders 2021 at FloBikes.

Junior Men’s Race

Earlier in the day, the Junior men faced five laps of a hilly circuit around Leuven for a total of 121.4 km. The Norwegians were in control and a late crash near the front of the peloton saw only a couple of riders get through. Norway’s Per Strand Hagenes took the rainbow jersey, with Frenchman Romain Grégoire–delayed by another crash–silver and Estonian Madis Mihkels bronze. Two weeks ago at the European Road Championships, the result between Hagens and Grégoire was reversed. It was the first medals of Flanders 2021 for Norway, France and Estonia and Norway’s first ever Junior men’s road race medal. Of the four Canadians who started, only Michael Leonard finished.

Future U23 Women’s Race Announced

On Thursday, the UCI announced that the first-ever U23 women’s road race world champion will be crowned in Wollongong, Australia next year, but there will be no standalone U23 women race at first. The U23s will race with the elite women.

U23 Men’s Race

It took a long time for this contest to get out of the neutralized zone due to many crashes. The riders would have a long starting section after the Antwerp start before a half lap of the Leuven finishing circuit, a lap of the Flanders circuit, and then a return to the Leuven circuit for two and a half laps. In total the U23 men had 19 climbs over 161 km on their menu.

An early breakaway comprised of a Kiwi, and Irishman and an Estonian rolled up a 4:00 lead by the time of the first climb. Italy and the Netherlands were prominent at the front of the peloton. The number of crashes was extraordinary.

Dutch efforts shaved a minute off the fugitives’ gap by the midway point of the race. On the Flanders circuit, the Estonian escapee almost came to a stop on the Smeysberg. The next climb dropped the Irishman. French rider Hugo Page bridged over to the Kiwi and then went solo when his new breakmate punctured.

With 58 km to ride, the race reset. On the way to back to the Leuven circuit, a nontet burst from the peloton. Belgium, Spain and France missed out. After a long chase, a Kazakh and a Frenchman made it eleven out front.

Portugal’s Fabio Costa leads the dangerous eleven-man break in Leuven.

Finn Fisher-Black didn’t like the pace of the reinforced group and tried to bounce away with 22 km remaining, but when he was pulled back, he popped. With 17 km to go, Swiss Mauro Schmid, winner of the Montalcino stage of this year’s Giro with Qhubeka-NextHash, dashed away. When he heard the bell he was 11 seconds ahead.

Schmid had 15.5 km to hang tough. Most of his former breakmates were sopped up with 10.8 km to race. The Dutch poured coals on the pursuit. Finally, Schmid was lassoed, and Baroncini, earlier held up by a crash, bolted on his competitors.

Baroncini attacks in the final 5 km.

There was no stopping the Italian, recently second in the European Championships.

It was a great day for African cycling as Biniam Ghirmay was second to Baroncini.

The Dutch claimed the final podium spot via Olav Kooij. Kooij’s accomplishment means that the Belgians and Dutch are tied with most medals at Flanders 2021 with four a piece.

Road action continues Saturday with the Jr. women’s and elite Women’s races.

2021 UCI Road World Championships, Jr. Men’s Road Race
Gold) Per Strand Hagenes (Norway) 2:43
Silver) Romain Grégoire (France) +0:19
Bronze) Madis Mihkels (Estonia) +0:24
61) Michael Leonard (Canada) +8:26

2021 UCI Road World Championships, U23 Men’s Road Race
Gold) Filippo Baroncini (Italy) 3:37:36
Silver) Biniam Ghirmay (Eritrea) +0:02
Bronze) Olav Kooij (The Netherlands) s.t.
77) Raphael Parisella (Canada) +6:20