After rolling out from Kortrijk, the riders cover 17 kilometres before hitting the Tiegemberg. From there, they continue at similar intervals towards the Volkegemberg, Boembeek, and Bossenaarstraat. By this point, they’ve already clocked over 70 kilometres.
Not long after the Bossenaarstraat, the riders take on Berg Ten Houte and La Houppe. Another 18 kilometres down the road, they enter the heart of the race. In this segment, the climbs come thick and fast — Hameau des Papin, Le Bourliquet, and Mont Saint-Laurent follow in quick succession, each serving up double-digit gradients (see ‘hills & cobbles’ in the slideshow below this article for details).
Back in the Flemish Ardennes, the Kruisberg, Hotond, Côte de Trieu, and Kluisberg wrap up the hilly section. The Kluisberg sits 58.8 kilometres from the finish, and from there, it’s pan-flat all the way to the line.
Where are the sprinters? Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, that question always looms large after the final hills. They’ve almost certainly been dropped in the climbing chaos, but if they’ve managed to limit their losses, they might be able to claw their way back. In that case, we could be in for a fascinating game of cat and mouse.
Last year, though, there was no such suspense. On the cobbles of Mont Saint-Laurent, Wout van Aert took control, with only Tim Wellens, Oier Lazkano, and Laurence Pithie able to follow his wheels. But when Van Aert upped the pace again on the Côte de Trieu, Pithie was out. The Flemish powerhouse stormed out of the hill zone with Wellens and Lazkano, holding a commanding two-minute lead over the peloton. The trio worked smoothly together to stretch their advantage, but in the final metres, Van Aert proved unstoppable, powering to victory in the three-up sprint.
Three years ago, Fabio Jakobsen was the last sprinter to win Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Other winners this decade include Tiesj Benoot (2023), Mads Pedersen (2021), Kasper Asgreen (2020), Bob Jungels (2019), Dylan Groenewegen (2018), Peter Sagan (2017), and Jasper Stuyven (2016).
‘KBK’ is expected to finish expected around 17:00 (CET). Check the slideshow below for detailed timing estimates.
Other interesting reads:
– live race report
– start list
– favourites
– results last year
– records & winners
– 2025 cycling calendar
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2025: routes, profiles, videos
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