Under-23 edition of Ghent-Wevelgem sees British victory

Jacob Hennessy wins group sprint in Ypres

Jacob Hennessy wins the 2016 Jock Wadley Memorial road race

(Image credit: Andy Jones)

The under 23 edition of Ghent-Wevelgem saw a British victor as Jacob Hennessy took the first international win of his career.

Riding for the British national team, Hennessy was part of a seven-strong group to contest the win on the cobbled streets of Ypres.

The 20-year-old from Cambridgeshire was well-positioned as the race came through the Menin Gate with only a couple of hundred metres to go, sprinting clear of Ian Garrison (Axeon Hagens Berman) and Rasmus Tiller (Team Joker Icopal).

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Covering many of the same roads as the senior version of Ghent-Wevelgem, the under 23 edition includes two ascents of the famous Kemmelberg climb, but finishing in Ypres instead of Wevelgem.

Hennessy has already been in fine form this season, winning the 51st edition of the Clayton Spring Classic in February.

Ghent-Wevelgem is the first of six races that make up the UCI Nation's Cup, a series of events for under 23 riders, with the next event being the Tour of Flanders of April 8.

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Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.