"I had good legs and I like this race": Corbin Strong takes first win of the season at Circuit Franco Belge after uphill sprint

Corbin Strong finally broke through to take victory at the 2026 Circuit Franco Belge, delivering a long-awaited win after previous podium finishes in 2023 and 2025. The New Zealander timed his effort perfectly in a reduced uphill sprint, holding off Anders Foldager and race favourite Paul Magnier to secure his first win of the season.

The NSN Cycling team controlled the race with an aggressive approach on the final climbs, aiming to reduce the group before the decisive sprint. Despite losing riders earlier than expected, the team’s early work proved decisive in setting up Strong for the finale.

“We had a plan to make the race as hard as possible before the final lap, and the team did a really strong job,” Strong said in a post-race interview. “Even when we lost a few riders earlier than expected, the work they had already done made a big difference.”

Sports director Dimitri Claeys praised the collective execution that allowed Strong to fight for victory in the reduced group finish.

“The guys executed the plan really well today,” Claeys said. “We wanted to make the race hard and create a selective finale, and the team committed fully to that. Riley’s move was key to splitting the group, and from there we could play our cards perfectly for Corbin.”

For Strong, the win also carries personal significance after a challenging opening part of the season, where results did not match expectations despite consistent effort and a focused build-up towards key objectives.

“I had good legs and I like this race,” Strong said. “I wanted to come back quickly after the Giro, and I'm happy to have won here. It's a relief because it wasn't an easy start to the season, given that I wasn't in good shape. So I didn't have many opportunities. Winning here is a really great feeling and means a lot to me.”

He also pointed to the importance of confidence in the final sprint, where fatigue played a major role in the reduced group.

“In the end, with some fatigue in the legs, I felt confident I could match the other fast guys. I believed in myself in the sprint and I’m really happy to finish it off."