Eneco Tour 2015 – Stage 3 [FULL STAGE] (flemish)

August 12, 2015

Eneco Tour 2015 – Stage 3 – Beveren – Ardooie : 171,9 km

This season sees the 11th edition of the Eneco Tour, after the cross-border race was inaugurated in 2005. The young Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) is the defending champion this season after a hugely impressive solo victory in Aywaille on the penultimate day of racing. Once again apart of the WorldTour series, the Eneco Tour begins with an out and back sprint stage in Bolsward, in the north of the Netherlands on Monday 10 August. Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep), Moreno Hofland (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Elia Viviani (Team Sky) will all by vying for victory here.

Twelve months after his teammate Zdenek Stybar crashed heavily in the Ardooie finale, Tom Boonen put it right for Etixx-QuickStep with a convincing victory on stage 3 of the Eneco Tour. Boonen capitalised on a strong performance by his team in the final kilometre to beat Arnaud Démare (FDJ) and Elia Viviani (Team Sky).

“I’m very pleased, it’s a very nice victory. The Eneco Tour is one of my home races, and it’s nice to have a victory here. I’ve started the last part of the season very well,” Boonen said at the finish.

The Belgian has been steadily improving over the opening days of the Eneco Tour, finishing third on day two. Lotto-Soudal and Giant-Alpecin did much of the work in the last five kilometres, but Etixx-QuickStep drove a hard pace in the final, forcing a split in the bunch and putting several of the sprinters in trouble.

Démare was able to hold on and struck out for glory as the final Etixx rider peeled off. Boonen kept his cool and stayed on the Frenchman’s wheel before sailing straight around him in the last few metres. Behind them, there was a mass of riders fighting for third but Viviani edged it out.

Jesper Asselman (Team Roompot) retained his leader’s jersey by a single second over Boonen with Viviani remaining in third. “It will be very nice to ride the time trial, starting in last place and riding in the white jersey. I’m going to give it all tomorrow and see where I end up,” said the Dutchman.

How it happened

The third stage of the Eneco Tour would be the final opportunity for the sprinters to take a stage win. The 171.9-kilometre stage took the riders from Beveren to Ardooie, where Stybar so spectacularly crashed last year. The sprinters would be hoping for a much cleaner finish to the day.

Asselman began the day as the new race leader after taking all three sprints in the so-called golden kilometre and he held a five-second lead over the two previous stage winners, André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) and Viviani. The day would be marked by a three-man break that consisted of David Boucher (FDJ), Edward Theuns (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Frederik Veuchelen (Wanty-Groupe Gobert).

It was a fairly straight-forward day with the gap to the escapees fluctuating as the sprinters’ teams martialled the pace. Roompot didn’t shirk their responsibilities and pitched in on the front of the bunch.

Things seemed to be ticking along nicely for the peloton when Gorka Izagirre (Movistar) and Hugo Houle (Ag2r-La Mondiale) crashed on a corner. The Canadian was able to get up and on his way fairly quickly but the result was much more serious for Izagirre. The former Spanish champion was immediately taken away from the race by ambulance and ushered to hospital for further tests. The team later confirmed on Twitter that he was conscious but had received a blow to the head in the crash.

Back in the race and Theuns took all three sprints in the golden kilometre to earn himself nine bonus seconds. It wouldn’t be enough for the leader’s jersey though as he began the day 15 seconds behind Asselman. The break’s day was soon over after that and the final two riders were reeled in with 20 kilometres remaining. Nathan Haas (Cannondale-Garmin) tried his hand at an attack around a kilometre later but the sprint teams had him pegged.

After missing out on the opening two days, Giant-Alpecin put on a strong show in the final kilometres. The German team hammered the pace and strung the peloton out but they were unable to shake their key rivals. However, when Etixx-QuickStep took up the pace setting the bunch began to break up under the strain.

Démare tried to use the element of surprise and went early in the sprint, but he couldn’t hold off Boonen in the end.

Results :
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step 3:54:25
2 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
3 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
4 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team
5 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
6 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal
7 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Team Katusha
8 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
9 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
10 Roy Jans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
11 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha
12 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
13 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) IAM Cycling
14 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
15 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
16 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant – Alpecin
17 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
18 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
19 André Looij (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
20 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
21 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
22 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
23 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
24 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
25 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
26 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
27 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
28 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant – Alpecin
29 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
30 Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ
31 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica GreenEdge
32 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
33 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Team Cannondale – Garmin
34 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
35 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre – Merida
36 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida
37 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Cannondale – Garmin
38 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
39 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
40 Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha
41 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
42 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
43 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team
44 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
45 Michael Valgren (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
46 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
47 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx – Quick Step
48 Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
49 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
50 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
51 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
52 David Tanner (Aus) IAM Cycling
53 Dayer Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
54 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
55 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha
56 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Team Katusha
57 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
58 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Team Cannondale – Garmin
59 Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Team Cannondale – Garmin
60 Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team
61 Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant – Alpecin
62 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
63 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling
64 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team
65 Chad Haga (USA) Team Giant – Alpecin
66 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
67 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx – Quick Step
68 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo
69 Michael Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
70 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx – Quick Step
71 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
72 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
73 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
74 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
75 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
76 Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team
77 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling
78 Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling
79 Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
80 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
81 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
82 Nathan Haas (Aus) Team Cannondale – Garmin
83 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
84 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Team Katusha
85 Danny Pate (USA) Team Sky
86 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
87 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
88 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
89 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Team Cannondale – Garmin
90 Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
91 Rick Flens (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
92 Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre – Merida
93 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling
94 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant – Alpecin
95 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team
96 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ
97 Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ
98 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
99 Juan Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team
100 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
101 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge
102 Maxime Daniel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
103 Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
104 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team
105 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
106 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Team Cannondale – Garmin
107 Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre – Merida
108 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana Pro Team
109 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
110 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
111 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Team Cannondale – Garmin
112 Loic Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
113 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky
114 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
115 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
116 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
117 Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ
118 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre – Merida
119 Tim Kerkhof (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
120 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
121 Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
122 Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
123 Huub Duijn (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
124 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
125 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant – Alpecin
126 Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
127 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha
128 Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
129 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
130 Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling
131 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEdge
132 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant – Alpecin
133 Sam Bewley (NZl) Orica GreenEdge
134 Enrique Sanz (Spa) Movistar Team
135 Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica GreenEdge
136 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Etixx – Quick Step
137 Adam Blythe (GBr) Orica GreenEdge
138 Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ
139 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Trek Factory Racing
140 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Team Sky
141 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Soudal 0:00:25
142 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:00:42
143 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre – Merida 0:00:57
144 Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge 0:01:09
145 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Sky 0:01:36
146 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:01:48
147 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Team Katusha 0:02:41
148 Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky
149 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
150 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:03:03
151 Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
152 Stig Broeckx (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:03:42
153 David Boucher (Bel) FDJ 0:06:10
DNF Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Matti Breschel (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
DNS Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant – Alpecin
DNS Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise

General Classification after Stage 3 :
1 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 12:13:20
2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step 0:00:01
3 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
4 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:00:05
5 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:00:06
6 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing 0:00:09
7 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
8 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha
9 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
10 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
11 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team 0:00:10
12 Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
13 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team 0:00:11
14 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:13
15 Nathan Haas (Aus) Team Cannondale – Garmin
16 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team 0:00:14
17 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:00:15
18 Roy Jans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
19 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha
20 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Team Katusha
21 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team
22 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
23 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica GreenEdge
24 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
25 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant – Alpecin
26 André Looij (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
27 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
28 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
29 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team
30 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
31 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
32 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre – Merida
33 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Team Cannondale – Garmin
34 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
35 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
36 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
37 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
38 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
39 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) IAM Cycling
40 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
41 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
42 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida
43 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx – Quick Step
44 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx – Quick Step
45 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
46 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
47 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
48 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling
49 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
50 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo
51 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Team Katusha
52 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
53 Dayer Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
54 Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha
55 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant – Alpecin
56 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
57 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant – Alpecin
58 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Cannondale – Garmin
59 Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
60 Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team
61 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
62 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
63 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx – Quick Step
64 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
65 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
66 David Tanner (Aus) IAM Cycling
67 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
68 Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
69 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
70 Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant – Alpecin
71 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Team Cannondale – Garmin
72 Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team
73 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant – Alpecin
74 Chad Haga (USA) Team Giant – Alpecin
75 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
76 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ
77 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling
78 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
79 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
80 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
81 Maxime Daniel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
82 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Team Cannondale – Garmin
83 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
84 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
85 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Etixx – Quick Step
86 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Team Cannondale – Garmin
87 Michael Valgren (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
88 Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre – Merida
89 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Team Katusha
90 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team
91 Enrique Sanz (Spa) Movistar Team
92 Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Team Cannondale – Garmin
93 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
94 Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ
95 Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling
96 Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
97 Adam Blythe (GBr) Orica GreenEdge
98 Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ
99 Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ
100 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
101 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge
102 Tim Kerkhof (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
103 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
104 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
105 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre – Merida
106 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana Pro Team
107 Loic Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
108 Huub Duijn (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
109 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
110 Juan Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team
111 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
112 Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
113 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
114 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
115 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling
116 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
117 Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre – Merida
118 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
119 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
120 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEdge
121 Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
122 Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
123 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Team Cannondale – Garmin
124 Michael Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
125 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team
126 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky
127 Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling
128 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
129 Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
130 Danny Pate (USA) Team Sky
131 Rick Flens (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
132 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha
133 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Trek Factory Racing
134 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
135 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant – Alpecin
136 Sam Bewley (NZl) Orica GreenEdge
137 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Team Sky
138 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
139 Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ
140 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Soudal 0:00:40
141 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:00:57
142 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre – Merida 0:01:12
143 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Sky 0:01:51
144 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:02:03
145 Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek Factory Racing 0:02:41
146 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Team Katusha 0:02:56
147 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
148 Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky
149 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:03:18
150 Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica GreenEdge 0:04:12
151 David Boucher (Bel) FDJ 0:06:22
152 Stig Broeckx (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:08:55
153 Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge 0:09:08