Brabantse Pijl 2018 [LAST 25 KM]

April 11, 2018

Brabantse Pijl 2018 – Leuven – Overijse : 202 km

De Brabantse Pijl serves as a mid-week transition race, taking the peloton from the punishing pavé of Flanders and Northern France to the equally painful climbs of the Ardennes.

Over the course of 202km, from Leuven to the three finishing circuits in Overijse, the organisers have picked up what seems to be every possible climb. In the 23.4km final circuit alone there are five, three of which come in the final 10km and the last ending at the finish line, making for a tough day in the saddle.

Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) capped off an excellent performance from his team to win De Brabantse Pijl-La Flèche Brabançonne on Wednesday.

The Belgian attacked with just over 7.5km to go and held off the remnants of the peloton to win alone and ahead of last year’s winner Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Merida) and Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal).

As Wellens crossed the line he pointed one finger to the sky in memory of Michael Goolaerts, who tragically died at Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix. A minute’s silence was observed at the start of the race in Leuven, with all of Goolaets’ teammates in attendance.

Lotto Soudal had been active throughout the second half of the race, and turned on the heat inside of the final 80 kilometres. First veteran rider Maxime Monfort laid down a rapid pace in order to bring back the early break, before Tosh Van der Sande linked up with Mitchelton-Scott’s Jack Haig to create a dangerous move.

The pair remained out front until 12 kilometres remaining, with Jelle Vanendert picked up the baton for Lotto Soudal. The Belgian’s acceleration helped forge the winning break, with Wellens attacking on a flat-stretch of road. Bahrain Merida tried to catch the Ruta del Sol winner but the 26-year-old’s time trial skills flourished in their element as he quickly built up a 20-second lead.

The remaining riders from the break were caught on the final climb but Wellens remained clear and had plenty of time to compose himself before his muted, and respectful victory salute.

“There are four chances [in the Ardennes] and today was the first of the four, so I’m happy to win here. It’s not the same level as the others, but it’s a race in Belgium, it’s very important for our team, and it’s never easy to win, so I’m very happy,” Wellens said at the finish.

“It was for Michael,” he said with regard to his victory salute.

“I didn’t want to celebrate, because everyone is thinking about him. I didn’t know him personally, but it’s very bad what happened.”

Colbrelli crossed the line in second, narrowly edging out Benoot.

How it unfolded

Three days after Paris-Roubaix, the professional peloton gathered in Leuven for the 2018 edition of De Brabantse Pijl-La Flèche Brabançonne. The mood was sombre and still with the Veranda’s Willems Crelan team leading the peloton in a minute of silence in memory of Michael Goolaerts, who had sadly died last weekend.

The Belgian team announced that they would race after consulting Goolaert’s family. The jersey was present when the early break moved clear with Dries De Bondt (Veranda’s Willems Crelan), joined by Calvin Watson (Aqua Blue Sport), Tyler Williams (Israel Cycling Academy), Michael Grosu (Nippo-Vini Fantini), Elmar Reinders (Roompot), Antoine Warnier (WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic), and Andrea Peron (Novo Nordisk).

The break enjoyed an advantage of over eight minutes before the bunch began to lead a chase, and with 80km remaining the gap had been reduced to just under three minutes.

Ahead of the peloton were three 23-kilometre laps with five climbs – Hagaard, Hertstraat, Holstheide, Ijskelderlaan, and Schavei – crammed into the parcours.

On the final climb of the first lap, Tosh van der Sande (Lotto Soudal) and Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott) accelerated from the peloton, before catching and passing the early break. Several riders attempted to make the juncture but the leading pair established a 30-second lead and held the majority of that advantage until the final circuit.

On the final charge up the Holstheide, and with van der Sande and Haig back in the bunch, Monfort raised the pace. This laid the groundwork for Vanendert and a group to move clear.

Wellens, who had been in the bunch for most of the race, was in the group, and with 7.8km to go the Belgian accelerated. There was a moment of hesitation, and despite a late chase, Wellens had more than enough of a lead to take the win.

Results :
1 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal 4:42:48
2 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:09
3 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
4 Pieter Serry (Bel) Quick-Step Floors
5 Jan Tratnik (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
6 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
7 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team
8 Huub Duijn (Ned) Veranda’s Willems Crelan 0:00:12
9 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:00:14
10 Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott
11 Paul Martens (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo
12 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
13 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data
14 Carlos Verona (Spa) Mitchelton-Scott
15 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
16 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
17 Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
18 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida
19 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:00:19
20 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
21 Warren Barguil (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
22 Justin Jules (Fra) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
23 Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie 0:00:23
24 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) Aqua Blue Sport
25 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:00:29
26 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Israel Cycling Academy
27 Marco Canola (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini
28 Scott Davies (GBr) Dimension Data
29 Rob Power (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:36
30 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
31 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) LottoNL-Jumbo
32 Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
33 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:00:47
34 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Cycling Academy 0:00:51
35 Mathias De Witte (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
36 Kevin Reza (Fra) Vital Concept Club
37 Frantisek Sisr (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
38 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
39 Pieter Weening (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
40 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:55
41 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:01:15
42 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij 0:01:17
43 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:18
44 Patrick Müller (Swi) Vital Concept Club
45 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
46 Julien Mortier (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
47 Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
48 Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
49 Floris Gerts (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
50 Aaron Gate (NZl) Aqua Blue Sport
51 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Quick-Step Floors
52 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal
53 Simone Ponzi (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini
54 Julien Vermote (Bel) Dimension Data
55 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
56 Edward Dunbar (Irl) Aqua Blue Sport 0:01:25
57 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Mitchelton-Scott
58 Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
59 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:01:37
60 Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty-Groupe Gobert 0:01:49
61 Dorian Godon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:02:00
62 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:02:01
63 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal
64 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic 0:02:05
65 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Quick-Step Floors 0:02:26
66 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:02:35
67 Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:02:40
68 Jhonatan Narvaez (Ecu) Quick-Step Floors
69 Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Cycling Academy
70 Joey Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team
71 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
72 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors
73 Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic 0:03:17
74 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie 0:03:28
75 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan 0:03:44
76 Davide Martinelli (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 0:04:22
77 Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott 0:04:35
78 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
79 Pawel Bernas (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
80 Marco Tizza (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini 0:06:26
81 Brice Feillu (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
82 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Aqua Blue Sport 0:07:57
83 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
84 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
85 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
86 Tyler Williams (USA) Israel Cycling Academy
87 August Jensen (Nor) Israel Cycling Academy
88 Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
89 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk 0:09:18
90 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Dimension Data
91 Casper Phillip Pedersen (Den) Aqua Blue Sport
92 Amael Moinard (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
93 Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie 0:16:12
94 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan 0:17:15
95 Daan Olivier (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:17:44
96 Marino Kobayashi (Jpn) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini
97 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk
98 Christophe Masson (Fra) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
99 Tom Bohli (Swi) BMC Racing Team
100 David Lozano (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Reid McClure (Can) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF Remy Mertz (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Hendrikus van Ijzendoorn (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF Sean De Bie (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Elias Van Breussegem (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Crelan
DNF Brian Kamstra (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF Rein Taaramäe (Est) Direct Energie
DNF Yoann Bagot (Fra) Vital Concept Club
DNF Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension Data
DNF Tanguy Turgis (Fra) Vital Concept Club
DNF Kilian Frankiny (Swi) BMC Racing Team
DNF Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Ludovic Robeet (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNF Borut Bozic (Slo) Bahrain-Merida
DNF Antoine Warnier (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
DNF Michael Hepburn (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
DNF Svein Tuft (Can) Mitchelton-Scott
DNF Justin Mottier (Fra) Vital Concept Club
DNF Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Kamil Gradek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Imerio Cima (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini
DNF Calvin Watson (Aus) Aqua Blue Sport
DNF Eduard Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini
DNF Jerome Cousin (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Nippo-Vini Fantini-Europa Ovini
DNF Robbert de Greef (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij
DNF Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF Robert Wagner (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Quick-Step Floors
DNF Aime De Gendt (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Floris De Tier (Bel) LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
DNF Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
DNF Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Dennis van Winden (Ned) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Florian Vachon (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
DNF Roy Goldstein (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy
DNF Mark Christian (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport
DNS Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Bahrain-Merida