Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2015 [FULL RACE] (flemish)

February 28, 2015

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2016 – Gent – Gent : 200,2 km

Over the years Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep) has tended to herald the arrival of spring by testing himself on the slopes of the Taaienberg, although, curiously, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is the lone cobbled classic missing from his weighty palmarès. That’s partially because the race has been a point of departure for his campaign rather than an end unto itself, but if ever he truly ‘needed’ a win here, it might be now. For the first time since he inherited the mantle of team leadership from Johan Museeuw a decade ago, there is a legitimate threat to his pre-eminence at QuickStep in the form of Paris-Roubaix champion Niki Terpstra. Patrick Lefevere likes to hold a strong hand and Boonen has always been his trump card to this point, but Terpstra’s form at the Tour of Qatar suggested that the deck could be stacked differently this time around. With Zdenek Stybar, Iljo Keisse and Stijn Vandenbergh also in the line-up, no team has the same array of option as QuickStep: another Omloop tradition.

Ian Stannard (Team Sky) retained his title in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with an incredible solo ride against the might and numbers of Etixx-QuickStep. The British rider beat Niki Terpstra in a two-up sprint in a gripping race after taking apart a three-pronged attack from the Belgian team that also included Tom Boonen and Stijn Vandenbergh. However, while credit will go to Stannard for his faultless ride, the race was marked by an utter capitulation from Etixx-QuickStep, who let victory slip from their grasp.

The race-deciding break of four had jumped clear of the reduced peloton with 40 kilometres to go and it looked as though Etixx-Quickstep – with their two Classics leaders both present and accounted for – would determine the final result. However, Stannard clearly had other ideas – allowing the Belgian team to use up vital energy as they sought to hold off a brave chase from Sep Vanmarcke (Lotto-JumboNL) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing), before responding and then countering to several attacks in the closing stages of the race.

The first attack strangely came from Boonen – arguably the strongest sprinter in the group – inside the final five kilometres. Stannard allowed the former world champion to create a gap but then reeled the Belgian in with a measured, yet effective chase. The audacity of Stannard’s response and his reluctance to see Etixx run away with the race, seemed to catch Etixx off guard and affect their game-plan.

Terpstra predictably attacked as soon as Boonen’s move had been neutralised but inexplicably he was caught by his own teammate, Vandenbergh.

Seizing weakness and possibly dissention in the ranks, Stannard responded with his own attack inside the final three kilometres. The move was too much for Vandenbergh and Boonen, with only Terpstra able to respond.

Etiix still had another error up their sleeve and duly played their final card with the finishline in site, as Terpstra unnecessarily moved to the front and opened up the sprint. Stannard slipped back, allowing the Dutch rider to set the tempo before edging him out in the final sprint.

How it unfolded

The early break consisted of Alexis Gougeard (AG2R-La Mondiale), Matt Brammeier (MTN-Qhubeka), Christophe Laborie (Bretagne-Séché Environnement), Michael Reihs (Cult Energy), Kevin Van Melsen (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Louis Verhelst (Cofidis), Jaroslaw Marycz (CCC Sprandi Polkowice), Sean De Bie (Lotto Soudal) and Albert Timmer (Team Giant-Alpecin), who escaped inside the opening ten kilometres and built up a lead of six minutes over the peloton inside the first hour of racing.

They maintained that advantage as they rattled through the first sector of cobbles at Haaghoek after 59 kilometres and over the first climbs, the Leberg and Berendries, shortly afterwards. The first murmurings of a response from the main peloton didn’t arrive until after it crested the summit of the Muur after 83 kilometres, when Etixx-QuickStep, Sky and Lotto-JumboNL began to organise the chase.

On the next passage over the cobbles at Haaghoek, Bradley Wiggins (Sky) took up the pace-making at the head of the bunch, and his efforts, along with those of teammate Bernhard Eisel, promptly shaved another minute off the break’s lead, reducing it to three minutes by the time they hit the day’s fifth climb, the Kaperij.

Brammeier was particularly active at the head of the break, and his forcing on the next obstacle, the Kruisberg helped to whittle the front group down to just six riders – Timmer, Gougeard, Van Melsen, Verhelst and Laborie joined the Irishman – while Wiggins continued his lengthy cameo at the head of the peloton, leading the reduced group over the summit 2:07 down on the escapees.

Sky were still marshalling the bunch as the speed picked up on the approach to what is traditionally the formal beginning of hostilities, the Taaienberg, but once on the climb itself, Tom Boonen took up the reins on his traditional early season test site. The familiar acceleration up the smooth gutter on the right-hand side of the road suggested that Boonen remains the force of old, as a number of contenders, including Sep Vanmarcke (Lotto-JumboNL) and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), were distanced.

Indeed, just five riders – Luke Rowe, Stannard (Sky), Van Avermaet (BMC), Edvald Boason Hagen (MTN-Qhubeka) and Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep) – could track Boonen’s move, though their group swelled to 20 or so riders over the summit, with Arnaud Démare (FDJ) among those scrambling across. Only Timmer and Brammeier remained in front from the early break at that juncture, but their margin was down to 45 seconds as the race had begun in earnest behind, and it was clear their time out front was drawing inexorably to a close.

A brief lull over the Eikenberg allowed the a more general regrouping, with Kristoff and Vanmarcke fighting their way back on, but the bunch was now stretched in a long line and there would be no quarter asked or given from there to Ghent. Once onto the Wolvenberg, Luke Rowe struck out alone and his determined effort brought him across to the Brammeier and Timmer with 47 kilometres remaining, but a long, long stint of chasing from Vandenbergh (Etixx-QuickStep) brought them back and meant that the gruppo was about as compatto as circumstances could allow as they entered the final hour of racing.

Etixx detonate the race

That unity was fractured abruptly on the final haul over the cobbles at Haaghoek, when first Vandenbergh and then Boonen accelerated fiercely, bringning Niki Terpstra, Vanmarcke and Steve Chainel (Cofidis) clear with them. Vanmarcke issued a statement of intent when he took over the lead shortly afterwards and his surge propelled them further clear, but his progress was rudely interrupted by a rear wheel puncture as they exited the sector.

It would prove to be a key moment of the race. Boonen didn’t stand on ceremony and he continued with his forcing. When he turned around ahead of the Leberg, he had only black jerseys for company – those of his teammates, Terpstra and Vandenbergh, and that of Sky’s Stannard. Advantage Etixx-QuickStep.

Wisely, Stannard allowed the Etixx trio take up the running over the Leberg, and they quickly established a lead of 30 seconds over a reduced peloton where Lotto-Soudal, Lotto-JumboNL and BMC were scrambling to bring some order to the chase. On the final climb, the Molenberg, Vanmarcke desperately tried to breathe some life into the pursuit with a fierce acceleration, and he brought Van Avermaet and Stybar with him, but there was little to be done against the Etixx-QuickStep express in front.

On the cobbles at Paddestraat with 30 kilometres remaining, Terpstra allowed a gap to open to Boonen, forcing Stannard to come around and shut it down once again, while behind, Stybar and Van Avermaet sat like a dead weight on the eager Vanmarcke’s wheel, though that didn’t prevent the Lotto-Jumbo man from closing the gap to 15 seconds at one point. His efforts were recorded on the chalk board before the leading quartet, which compelled Stannard to help out the QuickStep trio and take a token turn on the front.

By the final sector of pavé, the Lange Munte, the gap was back out to 25 seconds as Vanmarcke began to tire and Van Avermaet – belatedly – offered his help. Terpstra, meanwhile, led the QuickStep flotilla across that 2,500-metre sea of uneven cobbles. The stowaway Stannard was pedalling comfortably in their slipstream, but locked, it seemed, in an impossible situation.

But QuickStep, whether through their own hubris or naivety created the opening for Stannard to exploit. Boonen’s first acceleration was nullified but from there the Belgian team’s strategy and hold on the race quickly began to unravel at an alarming pace.
When Vandenbergh pulled in a move from Terpstra and Boonen was unable to respond to Stannard’s main attack the writing was quickly on the wall but the inquest and post-mortem into Etixx capitulation will take much.

Results :
1 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky 4:58:41
2 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx – Quick-Step
3 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:08
4 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:15
5 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:01:24
6 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
7 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:01:29
8 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:04:36
9 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky 0:04:55
10 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ.fr
11 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha
12 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
13 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Team Roompot
14 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
15 Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
16 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Team Roompot
17 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Team Europcar
18 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
19 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
20 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
21 Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
22 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
23 Aleksei Tcatevich (Rus) Team Katusha
24 Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
25 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) IAM Cycling
26 Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ.fr
27 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) MTN – Qhubeka
28 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) IAM Cycling
29 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
30 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal
31 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
32 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
33 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
34 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Team Roompot
35 Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement
36 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
37 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
38 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team
39 Steve Chainel (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
40 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
41 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal
42 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky
43 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha 0:05:06
44 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky 0:05:09
45 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:05:18
46 Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
47 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:05:45
48 Stig Broeckx (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:07:23
49 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
50 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN – Qhubeka
51 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN – Qhubeka 0:09:50
52 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:10:19
53 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
54 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
55 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
56 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
57 Russell Downing (GBr) Cult Energy Pro Cycling
58 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
59 Huub Duyn (Ned) Team Roompot
60 Tim Kerkhof (Ned) Team Roompot
61 Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team
62 Mike Terpstra (Ned) Team Roompot
63 Mauro Finetto (Ita) Yellow Fluo
64 Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
65 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
66 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) IAM Cycling
67 Adrian Kurek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
68 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling
69 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Cult Energy Pro Cycling
70 Frédéric Brun (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement
71 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Sky
72 Tim Declercq (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
73 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Team Katusha
74 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Team Europcar
75 Yannick Martinez (Fra) Team Europcar
76 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Team Katusha
77 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha
78 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team Europcar
79 Berden De Vries (Ned) Team Roompot
80 Louis Verhelst (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
81 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Team Roompot
82 Adrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
83 Daniele Colli (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
84 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
85 Matt Brammeier (Irl) MTN – Qhubeka
86 Jaco Venter (RSA) MTN – Qhubeka
87 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ.fr
88 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
89 Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ.fr
90 William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ.fr
91 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
92 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
93 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
94 Paul Voss (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
95 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Bora-Argon 18
96 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
97 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
98 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
99 Bram Tankink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
100 Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
101 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Yellow Fluo
102 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
103 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN – Qhubeka
104 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
105 Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling
DNS Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Christopher Sutton (Aus) Team Sky
DNF Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
DNF David Boucher (Fra) FDJ.fr
DNF Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ.fr
DNF Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ.fr
DNF Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling
DNF Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling
DNF Gert Dockx (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Sean De Bie (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Kenny De Haes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha
DNF Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha
DNF Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Tiziano Dall’antonia (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Daniel Schorn (Aut) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement
DNF Maxime Cam (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement
DNF Romain Feillu (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement
DNF Christophe Laborie (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement
DNF Daniel Mclay (GBr) Bretagne-Séché Environnement
DNF Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement
DNF Tomasz Kiendys (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Nikolay Mihaylov (Bul) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Marek Rutkiewicz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Grzegorz Stepniak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Mateusz Taciak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Martin Mortensen (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling
DNF Mads Pedersen (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling
DNF Michael Reihs (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling
DNF Michael Carbel Svendgaard (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling
DNF Troels Ronning Vinther (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling
DNF Joel Zangerle (Lux) Cult Energy Pro Cycling
DNF Theo Bos (Ned) MTN – Qhubeka
DNF Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) MTN – Qhubeka
DNF Eduard Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Alessandro Malaguti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Nicolas Marini (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Mattia Pozzo (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Antonio Viola (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Giorgio Cecchinel (Ita) Yellow Fluo
DNF Andrea Dal Col (Ita) Yellow Fluo
DNF Rafael Andriato (Bra) Yellow Fluo
DNF Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Yellow Fluo
DNF Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Yellow Fluo
DNF Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF Julien Morice (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Tim De Troyer (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert