Hugo Hofstetter finished third at Kuurne – Brussel – Kuurne on Sunday to give Israel – Premier Tech a strong start to its Spring Classics campaign for 2025.
Hofstetter had previously finished sixth for IPT in Kuurne during his first spell with the team in 2020, but he became its first podium finisher in the second of the races that comprise Opening Weekend after producing an explosive sprint.
The Frenchman was well positioned going into the final left-hand corner, and then placed himself in the wheel of eventual runner-up Olav Kooij (TVL) along the long finishing straight on the Brugsesteenweg. Hofstetter couldn’t quite come around him nor Jasper Philipsen (ADC), who took the victory, but was happy with his result nonetheless.
“It was pretty hard, but I felt really good today,” he says, “I was following quite a lot of moves on the climbs and I pretty much managed to always be in the front group, so I was really happy with the legs.”
Hofstetter attributed his podium finish to the selflessness of teammates, in particular Jake Stewart, Matîs Louvel, and Guillaume Boivin, who helped him in the closing kilometers.
He adds: “Jake asked me how I felt and I was like ‘yeah, I feel really good and I can follow the moves’, so he just let me [have] my chance today. It was supposed to be for him, so I thank him for this.
“Then, Matïs and G did an amazing job for me, like Jake did. I knew that it was really crucial to be in a really good position for this last left corner.
“I managed to take the wheel from Olav [Kooij] and then the sprint was almost done! But it was really hard to pass those guys [ahead of me] who are too fast.”
Hofstetter’s podium finishes comes on the same day that teammate Derek Gee claimed the first GC victory of his career at O Gran Camiño in Spain
