"I had good legs and I like this race": Corbin Strong takes first win of the season at Circuit Franco Belge after uphill sprint
Cycling
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.
NSN Cycling executes a selective race plan
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.”
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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.”
Corbin Strong joined Israel - Premier Tech (current NSN) in 2022
Confidence grows after difficult start to the season
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."
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
- dude, Lemond never even was in the same race as Armstrong. He throws all these aspersions on other American riders who might usurp his throne as the greatest ever American racer. He doesn't say a single thing about (foreign) dopers who he actually raced against. Biggest douchebag move ever. I used to revere that guy, now I despise him. His actions are so weird.fatsupermodel02-11-2026
- This is just stupid, You do what you are good at not what you are weak at. He has no results to speak of when he participated. Even Froome, Conatdor had very little. With Pogi there he wont win none of the classics. he is already 30+ with a few years left at the top. It takes years to get good at classics. Is that really worth the effort???abstractengineer02-11-2026
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
- Awwww your inside information must be from PogiFanGirl. You two daughters of different mothers?frieders302-11-2026
- Hey PogIFanGirl...wipe that cream from your lips! You're ever loving drooling and whatever you have for Tadej has your brain fried!frieders302-11-2026
- Why should he 'let it go' ! Because you said so? Anytime LA Doper is called out is a win win !frieders302-11-2026
- Geez LeMond...let it go. You're a has been, albeit a former great one. But this is all water under the bridge and just undermines your legacy further.Mshark01-11-2026
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