“Another race with cobblestones that should suit me well” – Jordi Meeus eyes quick response at GP de Denain after Nokere Koerse near miss
Cycling
Jordi Meeus did almost everything right at Nokere Koerse, but still had to settle for second place behind Jasper Philipsen after a chaotic and hard fought finale that only came together in the final metres.
The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe sprinter was among the strongest throughout the closing phase of the race, surviving a disrupted run in that included Alec Segaert’s late solo attack and a constantly shifting peloton behind. When the Belgian was finally caught just before the line, Meeus was in position to fight for the win, but ultimately could not match Philipsen’s finishing speed on the uphill drag to the finish.
“It’s good to be on the podium again in such an important race. But I would have preferred to win,” Meeus said afterwards in a team press release.
That reaction reflected both sides of his Nokere Koerse performance. On one hand, it was another confirmation of his level in a race that suited him. On the other, it was a result that came within touching distance of something bigger.
Meeus competitive throughout tough Nokere Koerse finale
The nature of the race added weight to that performance. Nokere Koerse did not develop into a straightforward sprint, with repeated attacks in the final kilometres forcing riders to constantly react rather than settle into a controlled lead out. Meeus acknowledged that difficulty himself. “It was tougher than I expected.”
That assessment aligned with how the race unfolded. The late move from Segaert in particular threatened to take the result away from the sprinters entirely, while crashes and interruptions earlier in the finale made positioning far from straightforward.
Even so, Meeus remained in contention throughout and was well placed when the race finally came back together in the closing metres. “Jasper was strong today though,” he added, recognising the decisive difference in the final sprint.
Philipsen took victory ahead of Meeus and Juan Sebastian Molano
Focus already shifts to GP de Denain opportunity
Rather than dwell on the narrow miss, Meeus was already looking ahead immediately after the finish, with another opportunity arriving straight away at GP de Denain. “Another race with cobblestones that should suit me well.”
That shift in focus is telling. Nokere Koerse confirmed both his condition and his ability to handle a demanding, unpredictable race, even if the result ultimately fell just short.
With Denain offering a similarly demanding parcours, the chance to turn that near miss into a win comes quickly. After coming within one place of victory at Nokere Koerse, Meeus will not have to wait long to try again.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
- He will be lol, but he can still win on the climbs hahaawp04-11-2026
- I would love to have his inconsistency. How many wins this year? 2 TdF stages, a WC, a Euro championship, San Sebastian, multiple wins early year. Monument podiums. I'd take it. I don't think he has a chance in the TdF, but he is still amazing.mij04-11-2026
- He's not going to win the TdF. Maybe if they make every single stage a TT he could win. But I still believe Tadej would just sharpen his TT skills and win.mij04-11-2026
- You beat me to it. Should he make a full recovery (likely) and go light early in the year. One, two, three. Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. Should he be on a Feel-Like-He's-Fixin'-to-Die High.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- The deciding factor may be the (TBD) number of (any type of) kilometers without Pogacar.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- Unexplained chronic fatigue is an all too common bitch. The hard to find definitive answer may lie buried in gut mechanisms. A mystery of the deep.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- It's weird to say Evenepoel would be making a "serious mistake by adding the 2027 Giro d'Italia to his calendar, warning that such a decision could even be interpreted as a lack of confidence in his ability to win the Tour de France." It may well be a mistake but with so many commentators (of all sorts) continuously claiming almost everything Remco does as being a mistake, almost nobody should care what the pundits and the disparagers should say. His team may not want him to do the Giro, and that matters. But it's possibly or probably up to Remco to decide and it may not have to be decided on until a month or so ahead of the race. Yes , Remco is inconsistent much like the majority of the best riders but he's enjoying a period of not having been recently injured (or sick). Whatever he does he need not be concerned with critics who will second guess any perceived failure no matter what. I suspect he will have enough other races on his schedule so he won't be considering it. But the worst reason to not race it is because of what some will say - humorous that be.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- I'll say clean sweep all grand tourZamorano04-11-2026
- And the place he calls home is in Slovenia with his parents.RidesHills04-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment