Gent-Wevelgem 2016 [FULL RACE] (dutch)

March 27, 2016

Gent-Wevelgem 2016 – Deinze – Wevelgem – 243 km

The 2016 Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields,[2] was a one-day cycling classic in Belgium and France, scheduled on 27 March 2016.[1] It marked the 78th edition of the Gent–Wevelgem race. It was the seventh event of the 2016 UCI World Tour and the second of the one-day World Tour classics in Flanders after E3 Harelbeke. The defending champion was Italian Luca Paolini (Team Katusha), who won the 2015 edition after a memorable race in inclement weather.[3]

The world champion won the drag race to the line ahead of Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Katusha), who was the first to jump and held a powerful sprint for nearly 200 metres but was caught by Sagan and Vanmarcke as they crossed the line. Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) was fourth but suffered with cramps after being part of the aggressive quartet in the final Gent-Wevelgem of is long career.

Sagan has gone close to victory so many time and so was naturally happy to finally win a major Classic and win as the world champion. He dedicated his win to his wife’s father.

“I’m very happy I won finally in this rainbow jersey,” he said before climbing on the top step of the winner’s podium. “This is my second win at Gent-Wevelgem and this is for the father of my love because he’s having a hard time.”

He then explained the race and the thrilling finale.

“Fabian went on the last climb and then we got in the break. I think the fans saw who were in the break. We worked together from the start,” he said. “We played with group a little. Then in the finale there was a strong wind and we did full gas all day. We went slow near the finish because we had a lot of time on group. Fabian after a lot of kilometres is fast, then they know I’m fast if I feel good. Today I was very, very good and so the win came.”

How it happened

In the start town of Deinze, a few big names didn’t show up to the start due to illness, including Ian Stannard (Sky) and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), while Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) and Matti Breschel (Cannondale) all returned after illness. Riders were expecting wind to become an important factor on Sunday, although not as much as last year’s stormy edition.

The racing started outside of Deinze, after three kilometres of racing, when a small group went clear. The five brave attackers were Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff), Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Jonas Rickaert (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Josef Cerny (CCC) and later Simon Pellaud (IAM) got across to them. With the peloton happy to let them go clear, the five opened a lead of up to eleven minutes, averaging 40 km/h despite the strong side wind.

When approaching the feared flatlands of De Moeren, at 160 kilometres from Wevelgem, the speed in the peloton increased and echelons were formed in the wind. The first echelon of 34 riders gained a minute on the second group but unlike last year, it would not be a decisive part of the race. The biggest names who were missing in front were fast men Fernando Gaviria and Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep), André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) and Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) but also Classics specialists Lars Boom (Astana) and Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo). Bouhanni quickly abandoned the race.

After the passage in De Moeren the race entered France with the first peloton still seven minutes down on the five leaders, while the gaps between the echelons grew up to a minute.

The first peloton kept the speed high and made the second group work hard to get back on as the tactics of Gent-Wevelgem unfolded yet again. At 114 kilometres from the finish the five breakaway riders were pulled back with the second peloton still one minute down. Twenty kilometres later, while still in France at the fourth climb of the day called Côte du Ravel Put, part of the second peloton finally managed to bridge back up with the front of the race. The first peloton now consisted of approximately fifty riders. It was not an easy day for any sprinters hoping to win in Wevelgem.

Just before climb five, the Côte de la Blanchisserie, Jens Debusschere (Lotto-Soudal) crashed hard over the handlebars. The winner of Dwars door Vlaanderen was forced to quit the race and was taken to hospital.

Time for the Kemmelberg

The Kemmelberg is the key climb in Gent-Wevelgem and again proved this year. On the first ascent the big guns kept quiet, saving their legs for the final ascent but as the peloton lined out on the descent a few kilometres later, Matteo Trentin initiated a breakaway move on the Monteberg climb that cones just after the Kemmelberg. He was joined by Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal), Daniel Oss (BMC), Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) and again Pavel Brutt.

The attack forced the Dimension Data and LottoNL-Jumbo teams to work hard in the small peloton and thirteen kilometres later the five were brought back. However it was a taste of things to come.

Once the five were caught back Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Katusha) jumped away alone. The Russian rider quickly opened a gap of nearly a minute when starting the two final key climbs of the day: the Baneberg and the Kemmelberg at 40 and 35 kilometres from the finish. It was a clever move that would pay back big time later in the race.

Vanmarcke attacked on the Baneberg, kicking off the important attacks amongst the overall contenders. He was caught before the peloton hit the steep side of the Kemmelberg but he was clearly on form after a quiet build-up to the Classics. On the cobbled Kemmelberg, Sagan, Cancellara and Vanmarcke first crested the top of the climb and then they powered away towards Kuznetsov. The race had exploded in just a few seconds.

Stybar, Van Avermaet and Rowe were not far behind over the top but struggled to close the final metres after the descent. At 30 kilometres from the finish they were caught back by the chasing peloton, which trailed the four leaders by 20 seconds. The race was balanced on a knife-edge.

In the peloton fast men such Gaviria, Arnaud Démare (FDJ) and Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie) were all waiting for a sprint finish. However the four attackers refused to wait for anyone and worked together to extend their lead. Sagan, Cancellara and Vanmarcke all did massive turns, with Kuznetsov sitting on before bravely doing his bit too.

Behind Etixx-QuickStep hit the front in pursuit but they had missed the big move once again this spring. They worked hard for Gaviria, with five riders chasing but as they ride under the Menin Gate in Ypres, at 23 kilometres from the finish, they were 35 seconds down on the leaders. At that moment they sat up and lost heart, knowing it was virtually impossible to catch the leading quartet. The trial of Etixx-QuickStep’s spring will no doubt begin in the Flemish media.

The mind games begin

Up front, the mind games before the sprint began with five kilometres to go. The riders took turns on the front but also watched each other carefully as if in a track sprint. The speed dropped as the tension rode.

Inside the finale kilometre Cancellara was stuck on the front as Sagan moved across the road several times to avoid being caught out.

Kuznetsov kicked first inside the final 200 metres. Cancellara got on his wheel but struggled to hold it, revealing later he had been hit by cramps. Sagan had no such problems and jumped up to Kuznetsov in a flash. He then kicked clear towards the line and sat up, lowering his arms in celebration as he crossed the line. Finally he had won as world champion and a rainbow soon crossed the Wevelgem sky as rain began to fall.

Sep Vanmarcke finished second and Kuznetsov third, bumping Cancellara off the podium. Sagan has finally won one of the big Sunday Classics. Round two is next week at the Tour of Flanders.

Final Results :
1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 5:55:12
2 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
3 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha
4 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek-Segafredo
5 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ 0:00:11
6 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step
7 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
8 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha
9 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
10 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha
11 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
12 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-GreenEdge
13 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
14 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling
15 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
16 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
17 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Team
18 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
19 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
20 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:17
21 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:19
22 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:24
23 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:28
24 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:00:29
25 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge 0:01:07
26 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie 0:01:22
27 Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton 0:05:08
28 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Team Katusha
29 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
30 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
31 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
32 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
33 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
34 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
35 Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
36 Andrey Amador Bikkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
37 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team
38 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
39 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
40 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
41 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:06:05
42 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal
43 Bram Tankink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:06:06
44 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:06:08
45 Yohann Gene (Fra) Direct Energie 0:06:11
46 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:06:16
47 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
48 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team 0:06:21
49 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 0:07:16
50 Grégory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo
51 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team 0:11:05
52 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF
53 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
54 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
55 Roy Jans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
56 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
57 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ
58 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ
59 Tomasz Kiendys (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
60 Marko Kump (Slo) Lampre – Merida
61 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
62 Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
63 Raymond Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
64 Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
65 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale
66 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
67 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
68 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
69 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
70 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
71 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky 0:11:09
72 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie 0:11:11
73 Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
74 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff Team
75 Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
76 Josef Cerny (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
77 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha
78 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
79 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek-Segafredo
80 Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data 0:11:57
81 Nick Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data 0:12:02
82 Simon Pellaud (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:12:03
DNF Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff Team
DNF Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff Team
DNF Michael Gogl (Aut) Tinkoff Team
DNF Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff Team
DNF André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal
DNF Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal
DNF Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
DNF Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team
DNF Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha
DNF Sergey Lagutin (Rus) Team Katusha
DNF Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF Matt Brammeier (Irl) Dimension Data
DNF Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data
DNF Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data
DNF Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data
DNF Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data
DNF Maxime Daniel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team
DNF Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana Pro Team
DNF Arman Kamyshev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team
DNF Matti Breschel (Den) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Jack Bauer (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Wouter Wippert (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ
DNF Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ
DNF Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ
DNF Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ
DNF Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ
DNF Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
DNF Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling
DNF Leigh Howard (Aus) IAM Cycling
DNF Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling
DNF Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) IAM Cycling
DNF Oliver Naesen (Bel) IAM Cycling
DNF Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF Gang Xu (Chn) Lampre – Merida
DNF Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Lampre – Merida
DNF Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida
DNF Federico Zurlo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF Jorge Arcas Pena (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Movistar Team
DNF Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team
DNF Antonio Pedrero Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Sam Bewley (NZl) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
DNF Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
DNF Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Jef Van Meirhaeghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Kenny De Haes (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Antoine Demoitie (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Luca Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Mirco Maestri (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF Adrian Kurek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Bartlomiej Matysiak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Grzegorz Stepniak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Jonas Ahlstrand (Swe) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Kenneth Van Bilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Tony Hurel (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Julien Morice (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Tim Kerkhof (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF André Looij (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Ivar Slik (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Barry Markus (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNS Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha
DNS Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNS Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky