Per Strand Hagenes won the 2026 Antwerp Port Epic on Monday, May 25, after attacking from a nine-rider lead group in the final kilometer. Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s race report says the 22-year-old Norwegian had already tried once with 13 kilometers to go, then made the decisive move late enough to hold off the rest of the breakaway at the finish.
For riders, the result is a good reminder of why the Antwerp race is not a routine flat Belgian day. The course mixes cobbles, unpaved sectors, and exposed roads, so positioning and bike handling matter nearly as much as raw sprint speed. It is the kind of race where a strong rider can still win by timing the final effort instead of waiting for a clean bunch sprint.
How the Race Opened
Team Visma | Lease a Bike said a nine-rider group got away with about 40 kilometers remaining. Hagenes was in that move, and the group built enough room that the win would come from the break rather than a late peloton catch.
The important detail is that Hagenes did not leave everything to the final straight. His first attack with 13 kilometers left did not stick, but it forced the others to respond and showed he was willing to race before the line. On a broken course, that can matter. A rider who waits too long can get boxed in; a rider who goes too early can tow everyone to the finish.
Why the Finish Mattered
The final successful move came inside the last kilometer. That is a narrow window, especially after rough roads and repeated accelerations, but it also gave the chasers very little time to organize.
Team Visma sports director Maarten Wynants said in the team report that the final eight kilometers were on wide roads, which made the ending a gamble. In practical race terms, that means a solo gap can look small but still be hard to close when everyone behind is tired and watching each other.
Hagenes had not turned the spring into a win before this race, even with strong form. Monday’s result changes that. It also gives Visma a one-day victory from a young rider on terrain that rewards confidence, patience, and repeated efforts.
Why It Matters for Riders
This is not a Grand Tour stage, but it is a race that translates well to everyday riding lessons. Cobbles and gravel punish sloppy line choice. A headwind or open road can turn a small gap into a long chase. A rider who can stay calm after one failed attack still has a chance if the timing is right the second time.
For amateur riders, the useful takeaway is not “attack in the final kilometer” as a fixed rule. It is that rough-surface racing rewards a rider who saves enough energy to make one clean move when the group hesitates. The same idea applies in fast local group rides: the rider who handles the roughest stretch smoothly often has more left when the road opens up.
Hagenes’ win also gives road fans another example of how mixed-surface races can create better racing than a perfectly predictable sprint. The rougher the course gets, the more the winning move depends on judgment, handling, and fatigue management, not just peak speed.
What is Confirmed
Confirmed by Team Visma | Lease a Bike: Hagenes won the Antwerp Port Epic on May 25, 2026; he attacked from a nine-rider lead group in the final kilometer; the course included cobbles and unpaved sections; and he had made an earlier move with 13 kilometers to go.
The checked source does not provide a full official results table in the same article, and this story does not claim final time gaps beyond the team report’s description of the winning move.
The Bottom Line
Hagenes won because he was present in the right move and still had enough control to attack when the group was least organized. On a rough Belgian course, that is a more useful signal than a simple sprint result: the race went to the rider who could combine handling, patience, and one final acceleration.
For related Icebike coverage, see Icebike’s road bike wheels buying guide, the road bikes section, and winter-focused advice on road bike training indoors.
