23-year-old Edward Theuns confirmed that he has the potential to become to mix it up with the WorldTour riders when he took a breakthrough win the GP Stad Zottegem. The Belgian now hopes to continue his momentum in his upcoming French races.

Last week Edward Theuns got some attention for his great performances in the Arctic Race of Norway. The Belgian showed great sprinting skills when he finished third behind Alexander Kristoff and Thor Hushovd in stage 2 and on the final day he animated the stage with a great attack in the finale.

Today he underlined his good form and big potential when he took a breakthrough win in the first of the many Belgian late-season one-day races, the GP Stad Zottegem. Finishing off a great performance by his Topsport Vlaanderen team, he won a three-rider sprint against fellow Belgian talents Tim De Troyer and Zico Waeytens.

"It was a rather difficult race with the succession of those small climbs but above all with the wind on the course," he told Het Nieuwsblad. "At the start, the legs were not very good. I just come from Norway where I did the Arctic Race. Gradually everything improved and I could be at the front. We got clear with a nice group in the finale. On the final climb Kenny Dehaes wanted to attack but then his chain broke and he crashed.

"Zico, Tim De Troyer and I managed to get rid of the rest. Waeytens rode on the front in the final 2 kilometres and led me perfectly out in the sprint. De Troyer tried to pass me but I could anticipate him and finish it off. Tim launched his sprint 200m from the line and I immediately followed him and won with a few bike lengths.

"I'm happy with the win and for the team it's great to be 1st and 3rd. My next races are the Tour de Chateauroux and Poitou-Charentes. I would also like to do well in the Grand Prix de Wallonie."