Tour of Flanders 2015 [FULL RACE]

April 5, 2015

Tour of Flanders 2015 – Brugge – Oudenaarde : 264,9 km

After the removal of the Muur and the Bosberg climbs from the Tour of Flanders three years ago, there is another and no less significant alteration of the landscape and outcome of this year’s Tour of Flanders: the absence of both Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen. For the bones of a decade, on courses old and new, Cancellara and Boonen won six of the last ten editions of the Ronde. The unexpected absence of both men through injury, shifts the contours of the race into a hitherto unrecognisable layout. 2015 was already touted as a year that could mark the passing of the torch from Boonen and Cancellara to the next, younger generation. Their absence accelerates the rate of climate change in Flanders. However it remains intriguingly unclear as to who is best prepared to take advantage of the new conditions. QuickStep’s tactics, built perennially around Boonen, were the magnetic north of the Tour of Flanders: most others plotted their course accordingly. They will have to plan a different course this year. On the new finale, Cancellara was a landmark unto himself. “The last two years, basically everybody was waiting until Fabian attacked on the Kwaremont,” as John Degenkolb put it this week. However in his absence, Stijn Devolder will be Trek Factory Racing’s team leader. He will be the only rider in Sunday’s peloton who has won the Tour of Flanders, meaning it is more than likely that this year’s Tour of Flanders will crown a new Classics star.

Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) took a convincing sprint finish to win the 2015 Tour of Flanders ahead of breakaway companion Niki Terpstra (Etixx-QuickStep) while Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) led home the remnants of the chasers and was forced to settle for third.

Kristoff and Terpstra jumped clear after the ascent of the Kruisberg, with the Dutch rider first to open up a gap on the rest of the race favourites.

Despite never holding more than a thirty second lead and a late counter attack from Van Avermaet and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), the leading duo survived until the finish. Coming into the final kilometre Terpstra sat back and forced Kristoff to the front but the 2014 Milan-San Remo winner held his nerve and comprehensively took the sprint to secure the second Monument of his career.

“I’m really happy to win, it’s a really good feeling,” Kristoff said. “My family is here today, and it was a big dream and my big goal this season and I managed to do it.

“At the end, I came with Niki, and he didn’t really want to work with me, but I understand that. In the end I could still beat him.”

Kristoff is the first Norwegian to win the Tour of Flanders but coming into the race he was among the red-hot favourites having enjoyed an incredible start to the season already. His performance matched that of his Katusha team – measured, calculating and almost faultless.

Even when the Norwegian saw several of his teammates involved in crashes the game plan remained the same with the squad wisely intent on keeping their leader out of trouble for as long as possible. Every effort appeared rehearsed and refined and whereas Team Sky looked impressive but ultimately short of numbers when it mattered most, Kristoff rounded out the display with a textbook finishing – latching onto the Terpstra express when most of his rivals looked intent on holding back and then working with the Dutchman. Even Terpstra’s understandable lack of commitment in the finale could not break Kristoff from his stride.

Van Avermaet and Sagan’s late cameos glossed over the larger chase group who fought tooth and nail on the final ascents of the Paterberg and Kwaremont but had little shared agreement or power to bring back the leading duo.

How the race unfolded

After a slightly delayed start due to a farmer’s protest the 199 riders for the Tour of Flanders were able to roll out from the historical market square of Bruges and head south towards Kortrijk and the Flemish Ardennes hills near finish town Oudenaarde.

After 20 kilometres of racing five riders managed to distance the peloton, with Jesse Sergent (Trek Factory Racing), Damien Gaudin (AG2R), Ralf Matzka (Bora), Matthew Brammeier (MTN Qhubeka) and Dylan Groenewegen (Roompot Oranje Peloton).

Clément Venturini (Cofidis) briefly featured in front but dropped back into the peloton. Brammeier won the bonus sprint in Sint-Eloois-Winkel, winning his 73kg weight in the local ‘Steene Molen’ beer.

A counter-attack with Lars Ytting Bak (Lotto-Soudal) and Marco Frapporti (Androni) bridged up to the five leaders, creating a group of seven. The Sky-led peloton allowed the group the distance and they collected a lead of nearly seven minutes when approaching Zwevegem, this year’s ‘village of the Ronde’, after 60 kilometres of racing.

As the peloton started to hit the first climbs the gap was coming back down.

Bradley Wiggins crashed, probably in the first crash of the day, just before the first ascent of the Oude Kwaremont. A few bike switches later he was back in the peloton where his teammates set the pace behind the seven leaders.

There were several counter-attacks during the first of three loops near Oudenaarde. André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) featured in almost all of them. Nevertheless none of these attacks managed to gain distance on the peloton. Meanwhile, Paolini, Sagan, Degenkolb and Pozzato were confronted with flat tyres but they all kept cool and returned to the front.

On the wider roads towards the cobbles of the Haaghoek a Shimano service car tried to overtake the lead group but while doing so the car sideswiped Jesse Sergent. The incident was similar to the crash that took out Juan Antonio Flecha and Johnny Hoogerland in the 2011 Tour de France.

Sergent, a 26-year-old rider from New-Zealand, was forced to abandon the race, bringing the lead group down to six riders, with about three minutes on the Sky-led peloton.

In Schorisse there was another incident with a neutral car from Shimano. This time they rode into the back of the FDJ team car. As a result the FDJ-car took down their own rider who had been visiting the team car. Two damaged cars, an injured FDJ-rider and a furious Marc Madiot was the outcome of another avoidable incident.

On the tenth climb of the day, the Kaperij, there were a few accelerations. In front Bak and Gaudin distanced their breakaway companions.

André Greipel was again trying to anticipate the moves from the team leaders, without gaining much distance as the pace in the peloton increased when approaching the second ascent of the Oude Kwaremont.

Belgian champion Jens Debusschere (Lotto-Soudal) led the peloton on the climb with the break finally caught at the top of the ascent.

Greipel kept trying to sneak away, this time just before the famous Koppenberg. On the steep cobbled climb several riders were dropped, including Wiggins, while Devolder and Thomas were leading the peloton, bringing Greipel back. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) attacked after the Koppenberg and created a gap of half a minute. Greipel and Chavanel tried the same but without success.

With 36 kilometres to go the finale started. On the Taaienberg the big guns started firing with a first move from Terpstra. Once over the top Van Avermaet attacked and eventually a large group distanced the peloton.

While riding towards the third and final loop Lutsenko was again on the attack, together with Van Avermaet and Nelson Oliveira (Lampre-Merida). They were caught before hitting the Kruisberg. When entering the final loop only 26 riders were left in front. The biggest absentee was Sep Vanmarcke. While Tersptra and Kristoff attacked the lead group Vanmarcke was spotted trying to bridge up with the main group after the Kruisberg but the Belgian was unable to make contact.

With Terpstra and Kristoff clear the onus was on Giant-Alpecin, Lotto Soudal, Team Sky and BMC to lead the chase and when the gap dropped to around 15 seconds a juncture looked possible.

However when Thomas attacked he found a determined Stybar glued to his wheel and with the final climbs out of the way the rest of the field were racing for third.

Results :
1 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha 6:26:32
2 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx – Quick-Step
3 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:07
4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:16
5 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:36
6 Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team
7 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:00:49
8 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
9 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step
10 Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling
11 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team
12 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre-Merida
13 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
14 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
15 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:02:28
16 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
17 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team
18 Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
19 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge
20 Nelson Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) Lampre-Merida 0:02:34
21 Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling 0:03:02
22 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:03:11
23 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:03:23
24 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
25 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
26 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
27 Bjorn Leukemans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
28 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
29 Grégory Rast (Swi) Trek Factory Racing
30 Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ.fr
31 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
32 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
33 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha
34 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team
35 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
36 Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
37 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
38 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
39 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
40 Paul Voss (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
41 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
42 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
43 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
44 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-Merida
45 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) IAM Cycling
46 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
47 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
48 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha
49 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
50 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
51 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
52 Luca Paolini (Ita) Team Katusha 0:03:29
53 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
54 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:03:35
55 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team 0:06:36
56 Jack Bauer (NZl) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
57 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
58 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN – Qhubeka 0:07:08
59 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
60 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
61 Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team
62 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal
63 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ.fr
64 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Bora-Argon 18
65 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Trek Factory Racing
66 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Team Roompot
67 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN – Qhubeka
68 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
69 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
70 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Team Roompot
71 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
72 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
73 Matti Breschel (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
74 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team Europcar 0:07:32
75 Jarl Salomein (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:09:17
76 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
77 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Team Katusha
78 Aleksei Tcatevich (Rus) Team Katusha
79 Tim Kerkhof (Ned) Team Roompot
80 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha
81 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
82 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
83 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
84 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
85 Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar
86 Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
87 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky
88 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
89 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
90 Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
91 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:10:27
92 Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
93 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
94 Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
95 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
96 Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
97 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
98 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
99 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Sky
100 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Trek Factory Racing
101 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo
102 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica GreenEdge
103 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
104 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
105 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
106 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
107 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:12:55
108 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
109 Stig Broeckx (Bel) Lotto Soudal
110 Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar
111 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
112 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
113 Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
114 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Team Europcar
115 Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
116 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre-Merida
117 Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
118 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Team Europcar
119 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Movistar Team
120 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Team Roompot
121 Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
122 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
123 Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
124 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
125 Sam Bewley (NZl) Orica GreenEdge 0:15:02
126 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Team Roompot
127 Kristoffer Skjerping (Nor) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
128 Louis Verhelst (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
129 James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
130 Maxat Ayazbayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
131 Berden De Vries (Ned) Team Roompot
132 William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ.fr
133 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Roompot
DNF Andreas Stauff (Ger) MTN – Qhubeka
DNF Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) MTN – Qhubeka
DNF Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) MTN – Qhubeka
DNF Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek Factory Racing
DNF Ivar Slik (Ned) Team Roompot
DNF Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Roy Jans (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek Factory Racing
DNF Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Sean De Bie (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF Yannick Martinez (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal
DNF Jesse Sergent (NZl) Trek Factory Racing
DNF Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Clément Venturini (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Adam Blythe (GBr) Orica GreenEdge
DNF Ralf Matzka (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Fabio Taborre (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Frantisek Padour (Cze) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Alberto Nardin (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Tiziano Dall´Antonia (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Enrique Sanz (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
DNF Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha
DNF Michael Morkov (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
DNF Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo
DNF Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky
DNF Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
DNF Rick Flens (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Bram Tankink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling
DNF Youcef Reguigui (Alg) MTN – Qhubeka
DNF Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN – Qhubeka
DNF Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ.fr
DNF Matt Brammeier (Irl) MTN – Qhubeka
DNF Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) FDJ.fr
DNF Marc Sarreau (Fra) FDJ.fr
DNF Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Robert Thomas Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
DNF Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling
DNF John Gadret (Fra) Movistar Team
DNF Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) IAM Cycling
DNF David Boucher (Bel) FDJ.fr
DNF Adrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Lampre-Merida
DNF Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida
DNF Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre-Merida
DNF Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida
DNF Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Dayer Uberney Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
DNF Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling