Eneco Tour 2015 – Stage 6 [FULL STAGE] (flemish)

August 15, 2015

Eneco Tour 2015 – Stage 6 – Heerlen – Houffalize : 207,5 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.

Lotto Soudal’s Tim Wellens served up a dose of déja vu on Saturday, taking a solo victory on stage 6 of the Eneco Tour and pulling on the white leader’s jersey.

The Belgian, who won the corresponding stage in the Ardennes last year to take the race lead en route to overall victory, was strongest on a chaotic day’s racing and finished 49 seconds ahead of a chasing duo of Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Simon Geschke (Giant-Alpecin).

Race leader at the start of the day, Wilco Kelderman (LottoNL-Jumbo), came home in a fragmented main group over a minute down on Wellens, who now leads the race by 1:03 over Van Avermaet and 1:17 over Kelderman, thanks in part to nine bonus seconds picked up over the golden kilometre.

This year’s stage in the Ardennes lacked the finish at La Redoute that characterised the corresponding stage in the previous two editions, but the racing was no less intense because of it.

A breakaway group made up of Jan Polanc (Lampre-Merida), Mathias Brändle (IAM Cycling), Nikias Arndt (Giant-Alpecin), Sébastien Turgot (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Jérôme Baugnies (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) had a four-minute advantage but shortly after the peloton came through the line in Rouffalize for the first of three finishing laps, the race burst into life.

Andrey Amador (Movistar) kicked things off and after a flurry of attacks, counter attacks, lulls, and injections of pace, a group of eight went clear, including Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal), Chris Juul Jenson (Tinkoff-Saxo), Andriy Grivko and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), David Tanner (IAM), Vyacheslav Kuznetsov (Katusha), Greg van Avermaet (BMC) and Jan Bakelants (Ag2r-La Mondiale). Kelderman was distanced for a while but, isolated, managed to get himself back up there as the break was caught and the leading group swelled to 19 riders, among them Philippe Gilbert (BMC), Tom Jelte Slagter (Cannondale-Garmin), Mick Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Geschke.

As the riders took on short, sharp climbs like the Côte Saint-Roche and the Côte d’Achouffe, there was barely any respite in the attritional racing. Brändle enjoyed a spell alone out front and when Van Avermaet pegged him back Geschke immediately launched a move of his own.The German was joined by Rogers but Wellens set off in pursuit and gained time on the third climb of Saint-Roche, which features in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège classic.

Wellens soon forged clear and led through each of the three intermediate sprints in the golden kilometre to pick up nine bonus seconds, while Van Avermaet came through behind in second to earn six for himself. After being dropped for a while, Kelderman got himself back in touch with the main group but it soon became clear they now lacked the urgency needed to prevent Wellens from taking the day’s honours. Geschke joined up with Van Avermaet in a leading chase duo, while Bakelants and Slagter also set off from the bunch.

Wellens’ lead, though, was growing all the time, and with a large downhill section to tackle before entering the town of Houffalize, he was already riding himself into the race lead.

Last year he defended his jersey on the final day but tomorrow the race heads in to Flanders and up cobbled climbs. He’s in the driving seat but another day of frenetic racing lies in store.

Results :
1 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal 5:28:46
2 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:49
3 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant – Alpecin 0:00:51
4 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:03
5 Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Team Cannondale – Garmin 0:01:07
6 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:01:13
7 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
8 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
9 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
10 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:01:17
11 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
12 Michael Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
13 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:21
14 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx – Quick Step
15 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team 0:04:16
16 Bjorn Leukemans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
17 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant – Alpecin 0:04:19
18 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
19 Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
20 Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky
21 Michael Valgren (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
22 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
23 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
24 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
25 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling
26 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant – Alpecin
27 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana Pro Team
28 Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant – Alpecin
29 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Team Katusha
30 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team
31 Dayer Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
32 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
33 Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ
34 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
35 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:04:31
36 Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ 0:04:44
37 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:09:03
38 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida 0:09:05
39 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
40 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Team Cannondale – Garmin
41 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Cannondale – Garmin
42 Danny Pate (USA) Team Sky
43 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
44 Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha
45 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
46 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team
47 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
48 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
49 Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling
50 Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team
51 Juan Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team 0:11:30
52 Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:11:48
53 Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre – Merida
54 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
55 Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team
56 Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
57 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
58 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Team Cannondale – Garmin
59 David Tanner (Aus) IAM Cycling
60 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
61 JÈrÙme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
62 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge 0:11:52
63 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:12:00
64 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling 0:14:50
65 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx – Quick Step 0:15:50
66 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:17:24
67 Sebastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:20:10
68 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Etixx – Quick Step 0:20:20
69 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
70 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
71 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky
72 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
73 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
74 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
75 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
76 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
77 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
78 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant – Alpecin
79 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
80 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
81 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:25:28
82 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ 0:28:21
83 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Sky
84 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha
85 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha
86 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Team Katusha
87 Jasha S¸tterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
88 Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal
89 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
90 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal
91 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Team Katusha
92 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step
93 Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
94 Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling
95 Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
96 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ
97 Andre Looij (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
98 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) IAM Cycling
99 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
100 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
101 Cedric Pineau (Fra) FDJ
102 Maxime Daniel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
103 Roy Jans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
104 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Team Cannondale – Garmin
105 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre – Merida
106 Stig Broeckx (Bel) Lotto Soudal
107 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
108 Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
109 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
110 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team
111 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
112 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
113 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre – Merida
114 Tim Kerkhof (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
115 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant – Alpecin
116 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Team Cannondale – Garmin
117 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre – Merida
118 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
119 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Trek Factory Racing
120 Chad Haga (USA) Team Giant – Alpecin
121 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx – Quick Step
122 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Team Cannondale – Garmin
123 Loic Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
124 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha
125 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
126 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Soudal
127 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
128 Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
129 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
130 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
131 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
132 Adam Blythe (GBr) Orica GreenEdge
133 Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
134 Enrique Sanz (Spa) Movistar Team
135 Rick Flens (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
136 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team
137 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
138 Huub Duijn (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton
139 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica GreenEdge
140 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEdge
DNF Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica GreenEdge
DNF Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling
DNF Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
DNS Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
DNS Christopher Sutton (Aus) Team Sky

General Classification after Stage 6 :
1 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal 22:12:59
2 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:01:03
3 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:01:17
4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:01:40
5 Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing 0:01:48
6 Michael Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:01:51
7 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team 0:01:54
8 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:02:05
9 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:02:13
10 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
11 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx – Quick Step 0:02:15
12 Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Team Cannondale – Garmin 0:02:16
13 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:02:41
14 Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ 0:04:27
15 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:05:02
16 Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:05:04
17 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant – Alpecin 0:05:06
18 Michael Valgren (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:05:07
19 Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant – Alpecin
20 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Team Katusha 0:05:36
21 Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:05:50
22 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:05:53
23 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:06:04
24 Bjorn Leukemans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:06:13
25 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing 0:06:14
26 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team 0:06:19
27 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant – Alpecin 0:07:17
28 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:07:18
29 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:08:36
30 Dayer Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team 0:08:57
31 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Cannondale – Garmin 0:09:06
32 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant – Alpecin 0:09:24
33 Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team 0:09:25
34 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:09:34
35 Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling 0:09:56
36 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:10:02
37 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Team Cannondale – Garmin 0:10:35
38 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:10:58
39 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:11:07
40 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:12:01
41 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team 0:12:17
42 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana Pro Team 0:12:55
43 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling 0:12:59
44 Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ 0:13:09
45 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge 0:13:14
46 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:13:54
47 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team 0:13:56
48 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Team Cannondale – Garmin 0:14:05
49 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling 0:16:23
50 Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha 0:16:24
51 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:16:26
52 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx – Quick Step 0:17:29
53 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida 0:17:34
54 Danny Pate (USA) Team Sky 0:17:36
55 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:19:34
56 Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre – Merida 0:19:45
57 David Tanner (Aus) IAM Cycling 0:19:50
58 Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team 0:20:12
59 Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:20:20
60 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step 0:21:17
61 Jerume Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:21:39
62 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky 0:21:48
63 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant – Alpecin 0:21:57
64 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step 0:22:30
65 Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky 0:22:38
66 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team 0:22:40
67 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing 0:23:48
68 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:25:15
69 Juan Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team 0:25:24
70 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:28:11
71 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:28:15
72 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Etixx – Quick Step 0:28:43
73 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:29:15
74 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step 0:29:21
75 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica GreenEdge
76 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha 0:29:38
77 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:29:39
78 Andre Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:29:42
79 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
80 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:29:44
81 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:29:46
82 Huub Duijn (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:29:49
83 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick Step 0:30:06
84 Tim Kerkhof (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:30:49
85 Cedric Pineau (Fra) FDJ 0:31:31
86 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) IAM Cycling 0:31:35
87 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:33:40
88 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:33:44
89 Sebastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:34:01
90 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky 0:34:03
91 Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge 0:34:27
92 Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica GreenEdge 0:35:16
93 Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:35:43
94 Jasha S¸tterlin (Ger) Movistar Team 0:35:50
95 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ 0:35:54
96 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing 0:35:58
97 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:35:59
98 Loic Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:36:07
99 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:36:14
100 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ 0:36:15
101 Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:36:19
102 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:36:20
103 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:36:33
104 Enrique Sanz (Spa) Movistar Team 0:37:04
105 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Team Cannondale – Garmin 0:37:05
106 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant – Alpecin 0:37:31
107 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx – Quick Step 0:37:33
108 Maxime Daniel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:37:54
109 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:38:16
110 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Sky 0:38:22
111 Adam Blythe (GBr) Orica GreenEdge 0:38:33
112 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team 0:40:57
113 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre – Merida 0:41:14
114 Rick Flens (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:41:15
115 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEdge 0:41:24
116 Chad Haga (USA) Team Giant – Alpecin 0:41:32
117 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha 0:41:43
118 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
119 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:41:47
120 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Trek Factory Racing 0:41:51
121 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Team Cannondale – Garmin 0:41:53
122 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:41:55
123 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek Factory Racing 0:41:58
124 Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale 0:41:59
125 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Team Cannondale – Garmin 0:42:05
126 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky 0:42:06
127 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:42:07
128 Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale 0:42:38
129 Roy Jans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:42:39
130 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Team Katusha 0:42:40
131 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Team Katusha 0:42:50
132 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha 0:42:53
133 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Soudal 0:42:55
134 AndrÈ Looij (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:42:59
135 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:43:05
136 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:43:26
137 Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek Factory Racing 0:43:48
138 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Roompot Oranje Peloton 0:45:09
139 Stig Broeckx (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:45:19
140 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:45:35