Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Jenno Berckmoes a 23-year-old Belgian cyclist from Lotto Dstny won the Muur Classic after a 180.2 km race enhancing Belgiums health and fitness reputation. Norwegian Tobias Halland Joannessen and Swiss Fabio Christen followed in second and third respectively.
In the second week of the Tour de Romandie the sprint was won by 20 year old Gilbert Ducourtmieux of the French team Fagor FdJ and Germanys Mario Kummer from Stuttgart came in second. Team Lotus Festina’s Johan Museeuw of Belgium took third place. United States sprint champion John Oldarty riding for Gatorade Trek took fourth place. In the same team Pieter Brems led a tight group home to finally finish seventh. Mapei top Italian team Gianfranco Castoldis Spainard Catalan native Marcelino Garcia was eighth. The other Belgian riders who performed well in the competition were Lionel Taminiaux, Tom Van Asbroeck, Milan Menten and Jenthe Biermans. They placed 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th in the race respectively.
What achievements did Jenno Berckmoes accomplish in muur classic?
Berckmoes found her second career victory when she won the International Week of Coppi and Bartali’s fifth stage in March. The race incorporated the Muur van Geraardsbergen a horrifying ascent that had to be performed three times out of 85, 115 and 146 kilometers into their respective stages. Berckmoes followed on from the victory of Italian cyclist Filippo Magli winner in 2023 of the first Muur Classic. The Grand Prix de la Ville de Grammont which was the oldest bike racing event in Belgium was replaced by the Muur Classic in 2022. The Muur has now been classified as 1.1 level after being upgraded from International Cycling Unions 1.2 level last year.
