Published on : 03/25/2026
After a rather unlucky start to the race, the team managed to get through the echelon splits at the Ronde van Brugge. Well positioned throughout the day, Stanisław Aniołkowski went on to take 4th place in the sprint.
The 50th edition of the Ronde van Brugge (formerly Classic Bruges–De Panne) promised a tense race—and it’s fair to say that, from a spectator’s point of view, no one was disappointed. The finale, usually one for the fastest sprinters in the peloton, could well have been split to pieces by strong winds, potentially favoring an aggressive, attacking race. The instructions at the start of this Flemish classic were clear: watch out for the wind!
The team, already short-handed following the withdrawal of Milan Fretin, first had to deal with some bad luck. Alex Kirsch and Alexis Renard both crashed early on and were unable to finish. In an effort to spark a reaction, Jan Maas tried his luck off the front. As expected, the echelons shattered the peloton, which thinned out lap after lap.
If there’s one rider comfortable in this kind of wide-open, chaotic scenario, it’s Stanisław Aniołkowski. The Polish sprinter frequently found himself in the front group, battling to gain precious seconds on those caught behind. Focused throughout, he rarely left the top fifteen positions in the bunch.
As the kilometers ticked by, the suspense gradually faded: the race would be decided in a sprint among the remaining fast men in the peloton. Well positioned in the final moments, just a short distance behind the race favorite Groenewegen, Stanisław timed his effort perfectly. He came close to another WorldTour podium, finishing in fourth place.