Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

Race details
Date	Late February-Early March
Region	Flanders, Belgium
English name	Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Local name(s)	Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Dutch)
Nickname(s)	KBK
Discipline	Road
Competition	UCI Europe Tour
Type	One-day race
History
First edition	1945 (1945)
Editions	64 (as of 2011)
First winner	Valère Olivier (BEL)
Most wins	Valère Ollivier (BEL) (2) Leon Van Daele (BEL) (2) Jef Planckaert (BEL) (2) Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) (2) Walter Planckaert (BEL) (2) Frans Verhaeghen (BEL) (2) Jan Raas (NED) (2) Hendrik Redant (BEL) (2) Johan Museeuw (BEL) (2) Andrei Tchmil (BEL) (2) Steven de Jongh (NED) (2) Tom Boonen (BEL) (2)
Most recent	Christopher Sutton (AUS)

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne is an annual single-day road bicycle race in Belgium. It is ridden on the last Sunday of February or on the first Sunday of March, one day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. First held in 1945, since 2005 it has been a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.

History

Together with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad this race forms the Belgian opening weekend of the road cycling season. The course is less selective (the last climb comes 53 km before the finish line) than the Omloop which gives sprinters a better chance for winning this race. As of 2011 no rider has completed a double in the Belgian opening weekend by winnning both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

The name of the race however is somewhat misleading, as the race doesn't actually reach Brussels. After starting in Kuurne, the race heads out in the direction of Brussels but the turnaround point is near Galmaarden, some 25 km west of Brussels. On the way back, the race heads to the Flemish Ardennes where a number of hills (Edelareberg, La Houppe, Kanarieberg, Kruisberg, Oude Kwaremont, Knokteberg, Tiegemberg and Nokereberg) are climbed before finishing back in Kuurne.

Two times in history the race was cancelled due to bad weather. In 2010 the race was run in extreme weather coming from the Cyclone Xynthia. The race was shortened by 20 km because of a fallen tree and only 26 of the 195 started riders were able to finish in Kuurne.

List of winners

		Rider	Team
1945	BEL !	Ollivier, ValereValère Ollivier (BEL)	individual
1946	BEL !	Delmuylle, HenriHenri Delmuylle (BEL)	individual
1947	BEL !	Pieters, AndreAndré Pieters (BEL)	Celta-Erka
1948	BEL !	Buysse, AchielAchiel Buysse (BEL)	Thompson
1949	BEL !	Decin, AlbertAlbert Decin (BEL)	La Française-Dunlop
1950	BEL !	Ollivier, ValereValère Ollivier (BEL)	Bertin-Wolber
1951	BEL !	Declerck, AndreAndré Declerck (BEL)	Bertin-Wolber
1952	BEL !	Maelbrancke, AndreAndré Maelbrancke (BEL)	Devos Sport
1953	BEL !	Graeveleyn, Leopold DeLeopold De Graeveleyn (BEL)	Mercier-Hutchinson
1954	BEL !	Daele, Leon VanLeon Van Daele (BEL)	Bertin-d'Alessandro
1955	BEL !	Planckaert, JosephJoseph Planckaert (BEL)	Elvé-Peugeot
1956	BEL !	Denijs, HenriHenri Denijs (BEL)	Bertin-Huret
1957	BEL !	Verhelts, JosephJoseph Verhelts (BEL)	Faema-Guerra
1958	BEL !	Desmet, GilbertGilbert Desmet (BEL)	Faema-Guerra
1959	BEL !	Saelens, GentielGentiel Saelens (BEL)	Flandria-Dr. Mann
1960	BEL !	Planckaert, JosephJoseph Planckaert (BEL)	Wiel's-Flandria
1961	BEL !	Bruyne, Alfred DeAlfred De Bruyne (BEL) (Victory shared with Daele, Leon VanLeon Van Daele)	Baratti-Milano
1961	BEL !	Daele, Leon VanLeon Van Daele (BEL) (Victory shared with Bruyne, Alfred DeAlfred De Bruyne)	Wiel's-Flandria
1962	NED !	Rentmeester, PietPiet Rentmeester (NED)	Gitane-Leroux
1963	BEL !	Fore, NoelNoël Foré (BEL)	Faema-Flandria
1964	BEL !	Cabooter, Arthur DeArthur De Cabooter (BEL)	Solo-Superia
1965	BEL !	Reybrouck, GuidoGuido Reybrouck (BEL)	Flandria-Romeo
1966	BEL !	Desmet, GustaafGustaaf Desmet (BEL)	Wiel's-Groene Leeuw
1967	BEL !	Rijckeghem, Daniel VanDaniel Van Rijckeghem (BEL)	Mann-Grundig
1968	BEL !	Leman, EricEric Leman (BEL)	Flandria-De Clerck
1969	BEL !	Decloedt, FreddyFreddy Decloedt (BEL)	Pull Over Centrale-Tasmania
1970	BEL !	De Vlaeminck, RogerRoger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Flandria-Mars
1971	BEL !	De Vlaeminck, RogerRoger De Vlaeminck (BEL)	Flandria-Mars
1972	BEL !	Van Roosbroeck, GustaafGustaaf Van Roosbroeck (BEL)	Watneys-Avia
1973	BEL !	Planckaert, WalterWalter Planckaert (BEL)	Watney-Maes
1974	BEL !	Wesemael, WilfriedWilfried Wesemael (BEL)	MIC-Ludo-De Gribaldy
1975	BEL !	Verhaegen, FransFrans Verhaegen (BEL)	IJsboerke-Colner
1976	BEL !	Verhaegen, FransFrans Verhaegen (BEL)	Flandria-Velda
1977	BEL !	Sercu, PatrickPatrick Sercu (BEL)	Fiat France
1978	BEL !	Lefevere, PatrickPatrick Lefevere (BEL)	Marc Zeepcentrale-Superia
1979	BEL !	Planckaert, WalterWalter Planckaert (BEL)	Mini Flat-V.D.B.
1980	NED !	Raas, JanJan Raas (NED)	TI-Raleigh
1981	BEL !	Jacobs, JosJos Jacobs (BEL)	Capri Sonne
1982	GER !	Braun, GregorGregor Braun (GER)	Capri Sonne
1983	NED !	Raas, JanJan Raas (NED)	TI-Raleigh
1984	NED !	Lammertink, JosJos Lammertink (NED)	Panasonic
1985	BEL !	Tackaert, WilliamWilliam Tackaert (BEL)	Fangio-Ecoturbo
1986	~ !No race
1987	BEL !	Peeters, LudoLudo Peeters (BEL)	Superconfex-Yoko
1988	BEL !	Redant, HendrikHendrik Redant (BEL)	Isoglass-Robland
1989	BEL !	Hooydonck, Edwig VanEdwig Van Hooydonck (BEL)	Superconfex-Yoko
1990	BEL !	Redant, HendrikHendrik Redant (BEL)	Lotto-Super Club
1991	BEL !	Dauwe, JohnnyJohnny Dauwe (BEL)	Tulip Computers
1992	GER !	Ludwig, OlafOlaf Ludwig (GER)	Panasonic-Sportlife
1993	~ !No race
1994	BEL !	Museeuw, JohanJohan Museeuw (BEL)	GB-MG Maglificio
1995	FRA !	Moncassin, FredericFrédéric Moncassin (FRA)	Novell
1996	DEN !	Sorensen, RolfRolf Sørensen (DEN)	Rabobank
1997	BEL !	Museeuw, JohanJohan Museeuw (BEL)	Mapei-GB
1998	BEL !	Tchmil, AndreiAndrei Tchmil (BEL)	Lotto-Mobistar
1999	BEL !	Planckaert, JoJo Planckaert (BEL)	Lotto-Mobistar
2000	BEL !	Tchmil, AndreiAndrei Tchmil (BEL)	Lotto-Adecco
2001	BEL !	Van Petegem, PeterPeter Van Petegem (BEL)	Mercury-Viatel
2002	EST !	Kirsipuu, JaanJaan Kirsipuu (EST)	AG2R Prévoyance
2003	NED !	Sentjens, RoyRoy Sentjens (NED)	Rabobank
2004	NED !	De Jongh, StevenSteven de Jongh (NED)	Rabobank
2005	USA !	Hincapie, GeorgeGeorge Hincapie (USA)	Discovery Channel
2006	BEL !	Nuyens, NickNick Nuyens (BEL)	Quick Step-Innergetic
2007	BEL !	Boonen, TomTom Boonen (BEL)	Quick Step-Innergetic
2008	NED !	De Jongh, StevenSteven de Jongh (NED)	Quick Step
2009	BEL !	Boonen, TomTom Boonen (BEL)	Quick Step
2010	NED !	Traksel, BobbieBobbie Traksel (NED)	Vacansoleil
2011	AUS !	Sutton, ChristopherChristopher Sutton (AUS)	Team Sky

Winners by Nationality

# of Victories	Country
50	Belgium
8	Netherlands
2	Germany
1	Australia
1	Denmark
1	Estonia
1	France
1	United States

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