Gent-Wevelgem 2017 [FULL RACE]

March 26, 2017
Gent-Wevelgem 2017 – Gent – Wevelgem – 249,2 km

The 2017 Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields was a road cycling one-day race that took place on 26 March. It was the 79th edition of Gent–Wevelgem and the twelfth event of the 2017 UCI World Tour.

Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) became the first rider since Jan Raas in 1981 to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem in the same season. The Belgian held off Orica-Scott’s Jens Keukeleire with Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) finishing in third.

Van Avermaet, enjoying the best season of his career so far, was a cut above the opposition, having been a threat on the final ascent of the Kemmelberg and following the key moves – or making them himself – until forming a winning escape in the closing kilometres.

It looked as though Sagan would be in contention to defend his 2016 crown when he Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors), and Soren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb) created an impressive five-man group with Van Avermaet and Keukeleire with around 20 kilometres to go, but when Sagan and Niki Terpstra were unable to collaborate in the closing stages Keukeleire and Van Avermaet took their cue and opened up an unbridgeable gap. Despite a late chase from the world champion, Van Avermaet and Keukeleire entered the finishing straight with plenty of time to spare, and despite leading out from the front Van Avermaet had held off a plucky challenge from his fellow Belgian in the two-man sprint.

Sagan crossed the line in third, visibly disappointed with how others had raced against him. As for Van Avermaet, the march towards the Tour of Flanders continues.

How it unfolded

The sun was out at the start of the 79th edition of Gent-Wevelgem in Deinze. The 200 riders lined up in the crowded Deinze market square and paid tribute to Antoine Demoitié before taking the start. Last year, Demoitié died following a crash and collision with a motorbike during the race. After a small loop in Deinze, the peloton headed west for the first of 246 kilometres, with a passage through De Moeren part of the route. The pace was extremely fast early on, averaging 50 km/h during the first hour. Nevertheless, a group of nine riders escaped the peloton with Preben Van Hecke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Dennis van Winden (Israel Cycling Academy), Elmar Reinders (Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij), Hugo Houle (AG2R La Mondiale), Ryan Mullen (Cannondale-Drapac), Mark McNally (Wanty Groupe – Gobert), Jay Thomson (Team Dimension Data), Loïc Chetout (Cofidis, Solutions Credits) and Christophe Masson (WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect). The gap quickly grew to six minutes with FDJ taking the lead in the peloton.

As soon as the race hit the Catsberg, the peloton started splitting apart, partly due to the climbs but also because of the crashes on the narrow roads. After seven climbs, BMC used the crosswinds as a weapon and they accelerated, causing major damage in the peloton.

The pace briefly dropped before the first ascent of the Kemmelberg with 75 kilometres remaining. The climb split the group with only Chetout and Van Hecke able to stay clear.

Quick-Step Floors were quick to take the initiative. The gravel roads, a new feature of the race, saw Zdenek Stybar launch an attack on the first of three ‘Plugstreets’. A few riders joined him and they bridged up to the former breakaway riders. In the peloton, Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) punctured on the gravel roads and the Norwegian was forced to chase back.

Just before the tenth climb of the day, the Baneberg, there was another crash in the peloton, near the front of the bunch. Katusha’s Tony Martin, LottoNl-Jumbo’s Tom Leezer and Sky’s Gianni Moscon were among the casualties. Sagan narrowly escaped trouble, using his cyclo-cross skills to stay out of danger. Shortly thereafter, the peloton caught the riders off the front, resetting the race.

On the final ascent of the Kemmelberg, Van Avermaet powered away. Sagan worked his way through traffic to join the Belgian rider in the move. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Dimension Data), Stybar and Terpstra bridged on the descent. Sagan tried hard to keep a second group from bridging up but at 30 kilometres from the finish, Keukeleire, Kragh Andersen, Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale), Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb), Matteo Trentin (Quick-Step Floors), Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida), Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale-Drapac) and Scott Thwaites (Team Dimension Data) made contact.

With 22 kilometres to go, the leaders rode through Ypres with a bonus of 30 seconds on the peloton but the co-operation was gone. Keukeleire was the first to attack. He was caught back, but then tried for a second time. This time he was joined by Van Avermaet. Sagan bridged up solo, as Terpstra and Andersen did the same a few moments later.

The five leaders quickly established a 15-second lead on the chasers but with just over 15km to go Terpstra refused to come through after Sagan had taken a turn. Van Avermaet and Keukeleire had little time or energy for games and as the world champion and former Paris-Roubaix winner held their own private stand-off, the two Belgians rode away, ultimately to contest the victory between themselves.

Results :
1 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 5:39:05
2 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-Scott
3 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:06
4 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step Floors
5 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
6 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
7 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
8 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb
9 Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors
10 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Team UAE Emirates
11 Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
12 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
13 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
14 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
15 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
16 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb
17 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
18 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
19 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
20 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
21 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
22 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
23 Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
24 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar Team
25 Marco Marcato (Ita) Team UAE Emirates
26 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-Scott
27 Loïc Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
28 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
29 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Dimension Data
30 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
31 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
32 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac
33 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Astana Pro Team
34 Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
35 Bram Tankink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
36 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
37 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
38 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
39 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team
40 Andrey Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
41 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
42 Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team
43 Mitch Docker (Aus) Orica-Scott 0:00:13
44 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
45 Koen De Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
46 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
47 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-Scott
48 Julien Vermote (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
49 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
50 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
51 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
52 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors
53 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
54 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:30
55 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Cannondale-Drapac 0:01:20
56 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:01:32
57 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:07:26
58 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
59 Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
60 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
61 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team
62 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Lotto Soudal
63 Huub Duyn (Ned) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
64 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
65 Francisco Ventoso (Spa) BMC Racing Team
66 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data
67 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team
68 Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
69 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin
70 Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
71 Simone Consonni (Ita) Team UAE Emirates
72 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Cannondale-Drapac
73 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin
74 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
75 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
76 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data
77 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Israel Cycling Academy
78 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
79 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Sunweb
80 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
81 Amund Grondahl Jansen (Nor) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
82 Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team
83 Borut Bozic (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
84 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal
85 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin
86 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
87 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
88 Raymond Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
89 Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
90 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team
91 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale
92 Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team
93 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
94 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
95 Lars Boom (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
96 Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data
97 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac
98 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica-Scott
99 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac
100 Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
101 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-Scott
102 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
103 Michael Morkov (Den) Katusha-Alpecin 0:13:47
104 Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
105 Federico Zurlo (Ita) Team UAE Emirates
106 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ
107 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ
108 Loic Chetout (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
109 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Team Sky
110 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
111 Christophe Masson (Fra) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
112 Gregory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo
113 Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
114 Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:13:51
115 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky 0:13:52
DNF Stef Van Zummeren (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
DNF Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Rudy Barbier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Timothy Dupont (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Michael Goolaerts (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Matti Breschel (Den) Astana Pro Team
DNF Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Benjamin Perry (Can) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Christophe Prémont (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Michal Kolár (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Andre Looij (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Daniel Turek (Cze) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Roy Jans (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
DNF Mihkel Räim (Est) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Jimmy Duquennoy (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
DNF Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Ludwig De Winter (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
DNF Julien Stassen (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
DNF Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Lawrence Naesen (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
DNF Alex Kirsch (Lux) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect
DNF Stijn Steels (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal
DNF Oscar Gatto (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Roger Kluge (Ger) Orica-Scott
DNF Jens Wallays (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Nuno Matos (Por) Movistar Team
DNF Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
DNF Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Sunweb
DNF Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb
DNF Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Sunweb
DNF Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Sunweb
DNF Jorge Arcas Peña (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Team Sky
DNF Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ
DNF Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-Scott
DNF Nick Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data
DNF Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky
DNF Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
DNF Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Team LottNl-Jumbo
DNF Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data
DNF Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data
DNF Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky
DNF Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale-Drapac
DNF Robin Stenuit (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin
DNF Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Bahrain-Merida
DNF Maxime Farazijn (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Ion Insausti (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
DNF David Per (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
DNF Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb
DNF Oliviero Troia (Ita) Team UAE Emirates
DNF Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Tom Scully (NZl) Cannondale-Drapac
DNF Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Team UAE Emirates
DNF Filippo Ganna (Ita) Team UAE Emirates
DNF Wouter Wippert (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac
DNF Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) FDJ
DNF Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ
DNF Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ
DNF Marc Sarreau (Fra) FDJ
DNF Marko Kump (Slo) Team UAE Emirates