The Belgian opener that rewards positioning, nerve, and the ability to survive a day of attrition before the sprint.
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne is the second half of Belgium's Opening Weekend, a race that looks like a sprinter's day but rarely unfolds like one.
Next edition Feb 28, 2027
- Location
- 🇧🇪 Belgium
- When
- First Sunday in March
- Course
- One Day
- Most recent winner
- 🇬🇧 Matthew Brennan (2026)
- Category
- Men’s 1.Pro
About Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne is a men's one-day bike race held in Belgium the day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. It skirts the Flemish Ardennes rather than diving into them, but the route still includes enough bergs, cobbles, and crosswind exposure to thin the field before the finish.
Held since 1946, Kuurne has long served as the proving ground for sprinters with Classics ambitions.
This is the race where fast finishers learn whether they can handle a full day of Belgian racing. The route is less severe than Omloop, but it still delivers crashes, mechanicals, positioning battles, and repeated accelerations that leave sprinters isolated or exhausted. When it comes together, the finale rewards whoever survived the chaos with their legs and their team intact. When it doesn't, the race belongs to whoever read the wind or the breakaway correctly.
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 🇬🇧Matthew Brennan |
| 2025 | 🇧🇪Jasper Philipsen |
| 2024 | 🇧🇪Wout van Aert |
| 2023 | 🇧🇪Tiesj Benoot |
| 2022 | 🇳🇱Fabio Jakobsen |
| 2021 | 🇩🇰Mads Pedersen |
2027 edition
Feb 28, 2027. Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2027 is on Sunday, February 28, from the Grote Markt in Kortrijk to the Brugsesteenweg in Kuurne, Belgium. Matthew Brennan won the 2026 race in a sprint from a group of about fifty riders, ahead of Luca Mozzato and Matteo Trentin.
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne route
The course loops west from Kuurne toward the coast before turning back through a series of short climbs and cobbled sections in the Flemish Ardennes. The bergs are less numerous and less severe than those in Omloop or the Tour of Flanders, but they arrive in quick succession during the middle hours, and teams use them to launch attacks, split the field, or burn matches from rival sprinters. Crosswinds along the exposed western roads can fracture the peloton before the climbs even begin. The final 30 kilometers are relatively flat, but by then the field is often reduced, lead-out trains are incomplete, and positioning becomes a high-stakes problem. The race is usually won in a reduced bunch sprint, but the winner is rarely the fastest sprinter on paper. It's the one who survived the longest day with the fewest compromises.
What shapes the race
Race type
One-day classic on the second day of Belgium's Opening Weekend, following Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Opening Weekend identity
The second leg of Belgian cycling's spring opening. Less severe than Omloop, but the cumulative fatigue from Saturday matters.
Typical winner
A fast finisher who survives the Flemish hills and crosswinds, or an attacker who reads the breakaway correctly.
Wind factor
Exposed roads toward the coast create echelon risk before the Flemish bergs even begin.
Signature landmarks
From the coast to the Flemish Ardennes and back to Kuurne.
- Climb
Oude Kwaremont
The cobbled climb that features in many editions, testing legs and positioning.
- Terrain
Coastal crosswinds
The western loop toward the coast creates echelon opportunities before the bergs.
- Finish
Kuurne finish
The race starts and finishes in Kuurne, a fast, flat run-in for whoever survived the day.
- Terrain
Flemish Ardennes bergs
A series of short, steep climbs through the Flemish Ardennes that thin the field in the middle hours.
History
Memorable editions
- 2024
Van Aert returns to form
Wout van Aert won from a reduced group, a statement victory early in the Belgian spring.
- 2023
Benoot solos
Tiesj Benoot attacked from distance and held off the sprint, proving the race rewards aggression.
- 2001
Tom Steels wins the sprint
Tom Steels won from a large reduced group, the kind of messy, tactical finish that defines this race.
Iconic victories
Peter Sagan
Won in 2017 and 2019, using his all-round ability to handle whatever the race delivered.
Wout van Aert
Won in 2024 from a reduced group, combining Classics power with sprint speed.
Tom Boonen
Won in 2014, adding KBK to his extensive Belgian palmares.
Jasper Philipsen
Won in 2025 in a sprint finish, the kind of fast finisher the race sometimes rewards.
Eras and records
The second half of Belgium's Opening Weekend since 1946.
First edition
First held in 1946, making it one of the oldest spring one-day races in Belgium.
Most wins
Peter Sagan won twice (2017, 2019).
Opening Weekend pair
Always held the day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, forming the Opening Weekend of Belgian cycling.