Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2016 [FULL RACE] (flemish)

February 27, 2016

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2016 – Gent – Gent : 200,8 km

Easter falls early in 2016 and that means Ghent’s Sint-Pietersplein, Omloop Het Nieusblad’s traditional start location, will be taken over by the Mid-Lent fair. The start and finish, therefore, have been moved one kilometre to the Avenue Emile Claus, next to the Citadel Park. That could have an impact on the outcome of the race, with the new finishing straight slightly steeper than normal, as well as shorter and wider, according to race director Wim Van Herreweghe.

Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) claimed his first win of the season at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with a consummate performance that was capped by a sprint finish that saw off world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal).

The trio had been part of an elite group that had initially formed Taaienberg along with Luke Rowe (Team Sky). Despite a late charge from the peloton the break stayed clear.

In the sprint, Van Avermaet hit out first with Sagan and Benoot fighting for his wheel. The BMC Racing rider created a small gap and it was enough to seal victory with Sagan unable to respond in the closing metres.

Rowe held on for fourth place while fifth went to Alexis Gougeard (AG2R La Mondiale), who had been in the first break of the day. Jens Debusschere (Lotto Soudal ) led the peloton home just nine seconds later. There was disappointment for Etixx-QuickStep who saw Tony Martin crash and no riders finish inside the top ten.

However the day belonged to Van Avermaet, who laid down the perfect marker ahead of the spring Monuments. The Belgian finished second in this race two years ago and has perennially finished on the podium in several major spring races without claiming a win.

“I’m never really winning that much and it’s the first race in Belgium so far, so I’m pretty happy with this victory. If I could choose one, I would have picked, definitely, this one,” he said.

How it unfolded

At the start in Gent the sun and large crowds were welcoming of the 199 riders. Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep), world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and home rider Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal) were clearly the favourites.

Twelve riders were well aware that their only chance to shine in the first race on the Belgian race calendar was to get in the breakaway, with Alexis Gougeard (AG2R), Kristian House (One Pro Cycling), Julien Morice (Direct Energie), Kevin Van Melsen (Wanty – Groupe Gobert), Maxime Farazijn (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Brian van Goethem (Roompot-Oranje Peloton), Zakkari Dempster (Bora-Argon 18), Benoit Jarrier (Fortuneo-Vital Concept), Hugo Hofstetter (Cofidis, Solutions Crédits ), Brecht Dhaene, Stef Van Zummeren and Kai Reus (Veranda’s Willems) going clear.

The leaders collected a maximal lead of 5:30 over the peloton that was led by Etixx-QuickStep and Katusha.

Tiesj Benoot stated before the race that he needed to be ‘attentive once they reached the Kruisberg’. The racing certainly was more nervous. When approaching the Kruisberg there was a crash in the peloton that took down Tosh Van Der Sande (Lotto-Soudal), Magnus Cort Nielsen (Orica-GreenEdge) and Dennis van Winden (LottoNL-Jumbo). The latter was hospitalized.

The winning move

The lead group was less than two minutes ahead and starting to lose numbers as the rest of the climbs came into view. Benoot was certainly attentive because one climb later he was there when Luke Rowe (Team Sky) set a blistering pace on the Taaienberg with only Benoot, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) swiftly marking his move.

World champion Peter Sagan impressed a little later as he bridged up alone, with Daniel Oss (BMC) blowing up his engine when trying to keep up.

In front, Dhaene, Gougeard, Reus and Morice were the remaining leaders after the Taaienberg. At 20 seconds from the leaders Van Avermaet set a fierce pace on the Eikenberg, putting Rowe briefly in trouble. On the cobbles of the Karel Martelstraat the four strong men bridged up with dropped riders Dhaene and Morice.

Etixx crash and crack

Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) was riding in third position in the peloton when he slipped away when coming off the cobbles. He was able to continue his race although the chase lost valuable seconds as they were forced to reform.

Just before the cobbles of the Haaghoek the remaining two leaders were brought back, creating a new lead group of eight riders. They were Benoot, Van Avermaet, Rowe, Sagan and the survivors of the long breakaway move Reus, Gougeard, Morice and Dhaene.

Nearly a minute further back there was a crash at the back of the peloton that took out BMC riders Philippe Gilbert, Floris Gerts and Manuel Quinziato.

After the asphalted Boembeke, the final climb of the day at 32 kilometres from the finish the eight leaders were still nearly a minute ahead of the peloton led by Etixx-QuickStep’s Nikolas Maes, Lukasz Wisniowski and Stijn Vandenbergh. When they sat up Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo) and Tosh Van Der Sande rode away from the peloton.

The final run in

The remaining obstacles on the roads to Gent were the long pavé sections of the Paddestraat, Lippenhovestraat and the Lange Munte. In front, Reus flatted and lost contact with the leaders. Behind, 23-year-old Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) rode away from the peloton on the Lippenhovestraat, blasting by Theuns and Van Der Sande. Stuyven quickly passed Reus, too, but the leaders were still 40 seconds ahead.

When heading to the Lange Munte, Stuyven was battling the headwind in no man’s land, riding at 35 seconds from the seven leaders and 15 seconds ahead of the small Etixx-QuickStep-led peloton. Stuyven’s efforts were ruined when he slipped on one of the multiple corners ahead of the Lange Munte. The riders leading the way in the peloton were Wisniowski, Martin, Vandenbergh, Nikki Terpstra and Tom Boonen.

Sagan upped the pace on the cobbles of the Lange Munte, quickly dropping Reus, Dhaene and Morice. A little later 22-year-old Gougeard was dropped too but he returned when Sagan came off the front. Coming off the cobbles the gap for the five leaders on the peloton was still more than 50 seconds. From there, there were no more small twisting farm roads but 17 wide national roads to the finish town Gent.

The peloton had one last roll of the dice, with several teams complimenting Etixx’s work on the front. With 10 kilometres remaining the gap to the leaders began to drop and with 5 kilometres remaining the peloton could sense blood. However, one long turn Sagan, followed by an important turn from Gougeard ensured that the break would stay away.

Van Avermaet started the sprint in fourth wheel but took an aggressive line into the final corners. It meant he was on the front coming around the last bend, with Sagan and Benoot desperately trying to respond. However, they couldn’t catch the BMC rider and the Belgian hung on for a deserved milestone victory.

Results :
1 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 4:54:12
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team
3 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
4 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
5 Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:05
6 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:09
7 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie
8 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
9 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
10 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ
11 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
12 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
13 Oliver Naesen (Bel) IAM Cycling
14 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
15 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky
16 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Bora-Argon 18
17 Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
18 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team
19 Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
20 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
21 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
22 Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
23 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky
24 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
25 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:13
26 Brecht Dhaene (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
27 Florian Vachon (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
28 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
29 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) IAM Cycling
30 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:15
31 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Etixx – Quick-Step
32 Stig Broeckx (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:17
33 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
34 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie
35 Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling
36 Julien Morice (Fra) Direct Energie
37 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie 0:00:24
38 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:39
39 Mads Pedersen (Den) Stölting Service Group 0:04:41
40 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal
41 Timothy Dupont (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
42 Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team
43 Tim Declercq (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
44 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Stölting Service Group
45 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie
46 Aleksei Tcatevich (Rus) Team Katusha
47 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
48 Stef Van Zummeren (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
49 Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
50 Sander Cordeel (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
51 Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling
52 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Stölting Service Group
53 Jay Mccarthy (Aus) Tinkoff Team
54 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling
55 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
56 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
57 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
58 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
59 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff Team
60 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling
61 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
62 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
63 Jesse Sergent (NZl) AG2R La Mondiale
64 Grégory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo
65 Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
66 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
67 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
68 Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff Team
69 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge
70 Bram Tankink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
71 Kai Reus (Ned) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
72 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
73 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal
74 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
75 Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
76 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
77 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team
78 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha
79 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge
80 Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
81 Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
82 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
83 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ
84 Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ
85 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
86 Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ
87 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
88 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton 0:05:13
89 Bartlomiej Matysiak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:09:21
90 Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie
91 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
92 Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx – Quick-Step
93 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
94 Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
95 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Argon 18
96 Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
97 Daniel Mclay (GBr) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
98 Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
99 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ
100 Nils Politt (Ger) Team Katusha
101 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha
102 Matteo Busato (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
103 Jerome Cousin (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
104 Leigh Howard (Aus) IAM Cycling 0:11:35
105 Kristian House (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling 0:13:27
106 Eduard Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo – Vini Fantini
107 Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
108 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
109 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha
110 Sergey Lagutin (Rus) Team Katusha
111 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Bora-Argon 18
112 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff Team
113 Andrea Fedi (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
114 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
115 Joeri Calleeuw (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team 0:18:31
116 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
117 Michael Carbel Svendgaard (Den) Stölting Service Group
118 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
119 Peter Williams (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
120 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
121 Tomasz Kiendys (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
122 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
123 Vegard Breen (Nor) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
124 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha
125 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha
126 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge
127 Tony Hurel (Fra) Direct Energie
128 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ
129 Sam Bewley (NZl) Orica-GreenEdge
130 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team
131 Sebastian Lander (Den) ONE Pro Cycling
132 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale
133 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
134 Steele Von Hoff (Aus) ONE Pro Cycling
135 Michael Reihs (Den) Stölting Service Group
136 Marcin Bialoblocki (Pol) ONE Pro Cycling
137 Yanto Barker (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
138 Steven Tronet (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
139 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
140 Mirko Tedeschi (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
141 Maxime Farazijn (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
142 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff Team
DNF Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff Team
DNF Iljo Keisse (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
DNF Sean De Bie (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
DNF Floris Gerfs (Ned) BMC Racing Team
DNF Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
DNF Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
DNF Marc Sarreau (Fra) FDJ
DNF Alexander Edmonson (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
DNF Alex Peters (GBr) Team Sky
DNF Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Ralf Matzka (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Josef Cerny (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Adrian Kurek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Eryk Laton (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Grzegorz Stepniak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Borut Bozic (Slo) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Kenneth Van Bilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
DNF Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
DNF Iuri Filosi (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Yuma Koishi (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Nicolas Marini (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Antonio Viola (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF Joshua Hunt (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
DNF Martin Mortensen (Den) ONE Pro Cycling
DNF Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Tim Kerkhof (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Michel Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Wesley Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Ivar Slik (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Enrique Sanz (Spa) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF Mirko Trosino (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF Alexander Kamp (Den) Stölting Service Group
DNF Sven Reutter (Ger) Stölting Service Group
DNF Jonas Tenbrock (Ger) Stölting Service Group
DNF Robin Stenuit (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Christophe Premont (Bel) Veranda’s Willems Cycling Team