French dominate 10 km, home favourite claims bronze

Frenchman Yann Schrub seems to have a knack for Belgium, as after winning his European cross-country title in Laken Park (Brussels) in 2023, he took gold last weekend in the first European road athletics championship in Leuven with a blistering final kilometre.

Schrub formed a leading group with his compatriot Etienne Daguinos and home favourite Isaac Kimeli. In the background, top favourite Lobalu from Switzerland couldn't find his form and dropped out of the race. The leading trio worked well together, but at the Vaartkom the French pushed Kimeli to the front, where the wind was strong against. A cunning move by the French duo, as Kimeli lacked the freshness in the race's final stages to compete for gold. Schrub was crowned European champion, his mate Daguinos completed the French success 9 seconds later with a silver medal, while Isaac Kimeli was rewarded for a strong race with bronze. With also fourth place secured by a Frenchman (Fabien Palcau), France convincingly took the victory in the team classification.

(Raul Stiens - Photo: ©David Pintens for European Athletics)