Orn-Kristoff is the fastest one of three and wins the European title

In the beautiful morning sunlight, 151 Men Junior set off from the Sport Flanders Heusden-Zolder Velodrome Limburg for their European Championship. The Norwegian Orn-Kristoff beat Spaniard Hector Alvarez Martinez and Frenchman Paul Seixas after they launched an attack together on the cobblestones of Op de Kriezel. 

At 9:00, the starting shot for the Men Junior European Championship resounded in Heusden-Zolder. After a nervous start to the race, several attempts were made to form an early breakaway. A few riders did try, but none could really get away. After 40 kilometres of racing, a successful early flight was finally formed. A group of 8 riders (Frenchman Eliott Boulet, Czech Adam Pesek, Belgians Jasper Schoofs and Nio Vandevorst, Norwegian Peder Wettre Andreassen, Slovenian Bor Ebner, German Louis Grupp and Swede Linus Larsson) managed to build up a lead of about 20 seconds ahead of the peloton. 

In a blisteringly fast first hour to the race, almost 48 km were covered. Even before the start of the Manshoven cobblestones, the chase to catch the race leaders was set in motion driven by the Spanish and Dutch riders. Not much later, the leading group was caught on the cobblestones of Op de Kriezel. Immediately after that regrouping, three riders accelerated away: Frenchman Seixas, Spaniard Alvarez Martinez and the Norwegian Orn-Kristoff. At 40 kilometres from the finish, the trio had built up a 40-second lead over the peloton.  

The peloton had to chase once more. On the penultimate climb of the day, the Kolmontberg, it was Belgian Jasper Schoofs who lit the fuse. Following his powerful push, he was joined for support by the German Pepe Albrecht, the Slovenian Erasem Valjavec and the Estonian Olivier Mätik. However, their escape did not last for long. 

The trio at the front entered the final local lap in Hasselt still holding a 20-second advantage and they pulled out all the stops to keep the charging peloton at bay. The peloton was unable to close the gap and as they entered the final kilometre, it would be a sprint between the three of them that would decide who would take the European title. The Frenchman Seixas was the first to go, but in the end it was the Norwegian Orn-Kristoff who had the fastest legs. Spaniard Alvarez Martinez and Seixas took home the silver and bronze medals.