Grand Prix de Wallonie: Serrano outsprints Teuns for victory

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De Buyst finishes third, Van der Poel fourth at Citadelle de Namur

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CITADELLE DE NAMUR BELGIUM SEPTEMBER 13 Gonzalo Serrano of Spain and Movistar Team celebrates at finish line as race winner during the 63rd Grand Prix De Wallonie 2023 a 2013km one day race from Aywaille to Citadelle de Namur 196m on September 13 2023 in Citadelle de Namur Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar Team) celebrates at finish line as race winner at Grand Prix De Wallonie 2023(Image credit: Getty Images)

Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar Team) secured the victory at the one-day Grand Prix de Wallonie, outsprinting late-race breakaway rival Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) at the  Citadelle de Namur. 

Teuns was the first to surge in the final, but Serrano closed the gap and then won the sprint for the day's victory.

"An incredible victory. We had been looking for this success all season. I came here last year, and I really liked the race. This year, I came with every intention, and with luck, strength and success, I have been able to achieve it. A tough and difficult race, but I did it," Serrano said.

"Dylan Teuns is someone who has a lot of skill and strength in this type of ending, and with that attack, he made it very difficult for me. I tried to start and counteract him, and finally, I was able to pass him in the sprint."

Teuns said that due to the sharp corner taken at high speeds, he had to brake, which he felt might have cost him the win, "I am, of course, disappointed. The last corner was difficult, and I arrived there at too high a speed. I had to brake, and that allowed Serrano to pass me."

Jasper De Buyst (Lotto Dstny) finished three seconds behind the pair in third, with world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) finishing just off the podium in fourth place.

The peloton raced 201.3km from Aywaille to the Citadelle de Namur, along a challenging route that included three categorised ascents and then the climb to the finish line.

An early breakaway included Adam Lewis (Saint Piran), Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar) and Juillard Maximillien (Van Rysel), who set off with 183km to go, but they were caught by the peloton some 20km later.

That gave way to a flurry of new attacks as small groups of twos and threes managed to sneak off the front of the field. All were shortlived until mid-race when three riders, Dries de Bondt (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Pier-André Coté (Bingoal WB) and Kenny Molly (Van Rysel), cleared the field.

With 15km to go, Molly was the only rider left out front, but he, too, was reeled in as teams TotalEnergies, Uno X, Israel Premier Tech, and UAE Team Emirates led the field into the finale.

A crash took down world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and two others, but he was able to get back in the field.

Onto the final climb, Teuns made his move from a shattered front group, but he was caught by Serrano in the closing metres.

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Kirsten Frattini
Kirsten Frattini
Deputy Editor

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.

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