Grand Prix de Wallonie 2016 [LAST 72 KM]

September 17, 2016

Grand Prix de Wallonie 2016– Beaufays – Namur – 205,5 km

The Grand Prix de Wallonie is an annual road bicycle race held annually in Wallonia, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.

Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) took his first victory of the 2016 season with a late attack that netted him the Grand Prix de Wallonnie.

The Frenchman, who had been in a seven-rider move that imploded at the foot of the final climb to the Citadel of Namur, broke free with just over a kilometre remaining and held his lead to the finish.

He only held it by the skin of his teeth, however, as Etixx-QuickStep’s Petr Vakoc – also part of that earlier move – came roaring back as the road flattened out in the final kilometre and almost pipped him to the line. Coming round the final left-hand bend, Gallopin was slowing, but the Czech rider couldn’t make up his mind which side to try to pass on.

Jerome Baugnies (Wanty Groupe Gobert) finished a more distant third a couple of bike lengths back, with Huub Duijn (Roompot-Oranje Peloton) fourth and Cofidis fastman Nicolas Edet fifth.

The 205.5km race in the hilly Wallonnia region featured seven short climbs, with three in the first half of the route and the other four packed into the final 40km.

There was an early nine-man breakaway, with Johan Le Bon (FDJ), Aleksejs Saramotins (IAM), Gert Joeaar (Cofidis), Reinier Honig (Roompot-Oranje Peloton), Felix Pouilly (Roubaix Lille Métropole), and Stef Van Zummeren (Verandas Willems) going clear before being joined by Johan Hemroulle (Color Code), Samuel Leroux (Veranclassic-AGO) and Gregory Habeaux (Wallonnie Bruxelles-Group Protect).

The real action, however, began when they were caught, with just under 30km to go. Pieter Weening (Roompot-Oranje Peloton) immediately kicked off the hostilities on the Côte de Lustin, the third last climb, but it was on the five per cent slopes of the Tienne aux Pierres that the selections were really made.

The bunch split to pieces as Gallopin and Jan Bakelants piled on the pressure, forming a group of seven with Vakoc, Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r), Sebastien Reichenbach (FDJ), Huub Duijn (Roompot-Oranje Peloton) and Thomas Sprengers (Topsport Vlaanderen Baloise).

“We were with seven good riders and we managed to create a small gap pretty fast,” Gallopin said. “Bakelants was very good today. He was the one that set up the breakaway and his teammate Pozzovivo was among us as well.”

The gap began to grow and it reached 25 seconds as Wanty-Groupe Gobert missed out and were forced to chase behind. The group worked well but by the run-in to the Citadel they had just 15 seconds and as it was about to begin with 3km to go they all eased up and looked at each other – and that was game over.

“We worked together but it wasn’t perfect,” Gallopin said. “That’s the reason why we were reeled in at the foot of the citadel. When we were caught by the peloton I had a moment to recover. I found my own pace and I moved up to the fifteenth position.”

The steep cobbled roads took the riders up a picturesque series of hairpins and, after Weening and Pozzovivo had accelerated at the head of the reduced bunch, Gallopin rolled the dice again with 1.2km remaining.

“The further we went uphill, the better I felt and the better I was positioned in the bunch,” he said. “At a certain moment I felt ready to attack once again and I gave everything I had. Two years ago I finished second on the citadel. I couldn’t take the victory home. This climb suits me very well. In the last fifty metres Vakoc came really close and the stress was getting to me. Fortunately I went fast enough to bring home the victory.”

As his teammate Jens Debuscherre had done 12 months previously, Gallopin reached the line alone. After near misses at San Sebastian and the French national championships, he finally had his first success of the campaign.

“The team gave me permission to change my program because I wanted to focus on the European Championships that are coming up this Sunday,” he said. “That’s why I didn’t participate in the races in Canada. Instead I chose to ride the Tour of Britain before I came here for the Grand Prix de Wallonie. It feels really good to know that the team trusts me. In the Tour of Britain I felt better every day. I hoped to win a stage there, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. But my focus is on Sunday, that’s when I want to be really good.”

Results :
1 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal 5:06:17
2 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step
3 Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:00:01
4 Huub Duyn (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
5 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
6 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:04
7 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles – Group Protect
8 Rasmus Guldhammer (Den) Stölting Service Group
9 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
10 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Stölting Service Group
11 Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
12 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) FDJ
13 Tim Declercq (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
14 Pieter Weening (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton 0:00:10
15 Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille 0:00:12
16 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton 0:00:17
17 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
18 Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
19 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Veranclassic-AGO
20 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:00:22
21 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
22 Gaetan Bille (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
23 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) IAM Cycling
24 Fabien Doubey (Fra) FDJ
25 Rémy Rochas (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:28
26 Rayane Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:00:40
27 Kevin Ista (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles – Group Protect 0:00:43
28 Axel Flet (Fra) Veranclassic-AGO 0:00:59
29 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept 0:01:02
30 Clement Chevrier (Fra) IAM Cycling 0:01:13
31 Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
32 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:01:25
33 Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
34 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:01:45
35 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
36 Nick Van Der Lijke (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
37 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ 0:01:49
38 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team 0:02:46
39 Gordon De Winter (Bel) Color Code – Arden’Beef 0:03:51
40 Brecht Dhaene (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team 0:04:05
41 Antoine Warnier (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles – Group Protect
42 Christophe Masson (Fra) Veranclassic-AGO
43 Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
44 Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
45 Thomas Degand (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
46 Dennis Coenen (Bel) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team
47 Vegard Breen (Nor) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
48 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
49 Stefan Denifl (Aut) IAM Cycling 0:04:19
50 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:05:16
51 Maximilien Picoux (Bel) Color Code – Arden’Beef 0:05:20
52 Pirmin Lang (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:05:56
53 Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling
54 Florent Pereira (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
55 Jeremy Leveau (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
56 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
57 Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:06:30
58 Julien Mortier (Bel) Color Code – Arden’Beef 0:06:55
59 Marvin Tasset (Bel) Color Code – Arden’Beef
60 Sebastien Carabin (Bel) T.Palm – Pôle Continental Wallon 0:07:44
61 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:08:27
62 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
63 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step
64 Michael Reihs (Den) Stölting Service Group
65 Sam Lennertz (Bel) Veranclassic-AGO
66 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:09:13
67 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
68 Dorian Godon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:09:18
69 Adrien Costa (USA) Etixx – Quick-Step
70 Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ
71 Antoine Loy (Bel) Color Code – Arden’Beef
72 Thomas Petit (Bel) T.Palm – Pôle Continental Wallon 0:10:05
73 Ludwig De Winter (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles – Group Protect
74 Michel Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton 0:10:36
75 Felix Pouilly (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
76 Gerry Druyts (Bel) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team 0:12:52
77 Dieter Bouvry (Bel) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille 0:13:54
78 Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
79 Charlie Arimont (Bel) Color Code – Arden’Beef
80 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
81 Julien Van Den Brande (Bel) Veranclassic-AGO
82 Johan Hemroulle (Bel) Color Code – Arden’Beef
83 Auxence Buntinx (Bel) T.Palm – Pôle Continental Wallon
84 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team
85 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
86 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team
87 Gregory Habeaux (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles – Group Protect
88 Massimo Vanderaerden (Bel) Veranclassic-AGO
89 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) IAM Cycling
90 Reinier Honig (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
91 Joachim Vanreyten (Bel) Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team
92 Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Color Code – Arden’Beef
93 Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Etixx – Quick-Step
94 Christian Mager (Ger) Stölting Service Group
95 Sven Reutter (Ger) Stölting Service Group
96 Thomas Koep (Ger) Stölting Service Group
97 Steven Tronet (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
98 Jean-Marc Bideau (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
99 Tom Dernies (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles – Group Protect
100 Moritz Backofen (Ger) Stölting Service Group
101 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling
102 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
103 Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
104 Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
105 Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
106 Stef Van Zummeren (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
107 Aimé Degendt (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
108 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Soudal
109 Guillaume Delvaux (Bel) T.Palm – Pôle Continental Wallon 0:15:56
110 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:16:02
111 Sander Cordeel (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
112 Guillaume Haag (Bel) T.Palm – Pôle Continental Wallon
113 Tim De Troyer (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
114 Nicolas Mertz (Bel) T.Palm – Pôle Continental Wallon
115 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
116 Victor Van Bost (Bel) T.Palm – Pôle Continental Wallon
117 Davide Martinelli (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
118 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step
119 Dylan Kowalski (Fra) Roubaix Metropole Europeenne De Lille
120 Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:16:20
121 Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ 0:16:42
DNF Elias Van Breussegem (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
DNF Thomas Deruette (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles – Group Protect
DNF Julien Stassen (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles – Group Protect
DNF Bavo Haemels (Bel) T.Palm – Pôle Continental Wallon
DNF Justin Jules (Fra) Veranclassic-AGO
DNF Samuel Leroux (Fra) Veranclassic-AGO
DNF Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
DNF Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
DNF Marc Fournier (Fra) FDJ
DNF Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ
DNF Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJ
DNF Jonathan Fumeaux (Swi) IAM Cycling