Tour of Flanders 2016 [FULL RACE]

April 3, 2016

Tour of Flanders 2016 – Brugge – Oudenaarde – 255 km

Since its 1913 introduction to the cycling calendar, the Tour of Flanders has worked its way into the hearts and minds of fans and cyclists the world over. The Belgian monument is characterised by its narrow Flemish roads that twist and turn through the countryside with cobble sectors and Hellingen (climbs) adding to the difficulty of the 250km plus length route.

Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) secured the first Monument of his career with an unstoppable performance in the Tour of Flanders. The World Champion attacked several times and shed his final companion, Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo), on the Paterberg before soloing to the finish.

Riding in his final Ronde van Vlaanderen, Fabian Cancellara (Trek Segafredo) stormed up the Oude Kwaremont to break clear from the main chase group but, after linking up with Vanmarcke on the Paterberg, he was unable to claw Sagan back on the run-in to Oudenaarde.

The Slovak carried a 15-second lead over the final climb and, arms tucked neatly over his bars, extended that gap in the closing stages as he time trialled his way to the line, whereupon he pulled a trademark wheelie. Cancellara sat up, saluted the Flanders crowd and drank in the atmosphere one final time as he came home for second, with Vanmarcke, who had been visibly weaker in the chase, happy to let him do so rather than contest the sprint.

Last year’s winner Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), who rode an inoffensive race, won a small sprint for fourth in a group that included Luke Rowe (Team Sky) and the Etixx-QuickStep duo of Zdenek Stybar and Niki Terpstra.

“I feel very good, I’m very happy. It was a super hard race from start to finish – always full gas,” said Sagan. “It’s very hard to work with other guys because no one wants to work with me… so it’s better to drop everyone.

“We have to think about the two guys who died last week,” he added, referring to the deaths of fellow riders Antoine Demoitié and Daan Myngheer, who were both remembered earlier in the day. “It’s very sad. I want to dedicate this to them. Also to [teammate] Maciej Bodnar, who crashed in training. He was very unlucky and I want to wish him a good recovery.”

With Tour of Flanders victory comes the inevitable Paris-Roubaix hype, though Sagan was understandably keen to distance himself from thoughts of a historic Monument double.

“Next week I will think about next week,” he said. “Not now.”

Favourites crash out

The first half of the race was fast and furious, the bunch nervous, and with over 100km still remaining, crashes had left the hopes of three pre-race favourites in tatters.

One of the enduring images of this race will be that of a distraught and tearful Greg Van Avermaetsitting by the roadside, head in hands, after coming down in a crash that took out four BMC riders. The Belgian has come so close here in previous years and, after success at Omloop Het Niewusblad, hopes were higher than ever. He suffered a broken collarbone and was put into an ambulance along with teammate Michael Schar.

Also leaving the race in an ambulance was Lotto Soudal’s Tiesj Benoot, a great hope of the home nation after his fifth place on his debut last year. The 22-year-old came down with 128km remaining, shortly before the Wolvenberg, in a big crash that appeared to be caused by a jettisoned bidon. Marcus Burghardt (BMC) was also forced out of the race in that pile-up.

Milan-San Remo winner Arnaud Demare (FDJ) was hoping to carry his Monument-winning form into Flanders but he was dumped out of the race with just over 100km covered. The Frenchman came down heavily near the front of the pack and, after trying to carry on, was forced to abandon, though with no serious injuries.

Demoitié and Myngheer remembered

Nice weather and big crowds welcomed riders in Bruge’s market square for the start of the jubilee edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen. There was an impressive minute of silence in memory of Antoine Demoitié, who died following a crash in Gent-Wevelgem last week.

Shortly after the riders had rolled out of Bruges, with 25 kilometres on the clock, another recently deceased rider was remembered as the peloton slowed through the Hooglede – the hometown of Daan Myngheer, who died from a heart attack at the Critérium International last week.

Many teams’ only objective was to get somebody in a breakaway, but that proved to be a hard task with a frantic pace in the peloton, and it was only 70km into the race that a small group finally established a gap. The six leaders were Hugo Houlé (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Federico Zurlo (Lampre-Merida), Imanol Erviti (Movistar), Lukas Postlberger (Bora-Argon 18), Gijs Van Hoecke (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Wesley Kreder (Roompot Oranje Peloton).

After a string of crashes, which held up several riders, including Vanmarcke, who was forced to launch a chase, the race calmed down somewhat but Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) split the peloton to pieces after the Molenberg. About 25 riders were in the first group with him, and they were soon caught by a second large group, just before the Paddestraat.

André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) and Nils Politt (Katusha) then attacked on the Leberg and the peloton let them go. During the ascent of the Berendries there were only two leaders left in front, Van Hoecke and Erviti. After more attacks from the peloton, Dmitriy Gruzdev (Astana) and Dimitri Claeys (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) went clear and by the tenth climb of the day, the Kanarieberg, they found themselves in the lead group which now consisted of seven riders after the Greipel group had successfully bridged. At the foot of the Oude Kwaremont they were two minutes ahead of the peloton.

The key phase of the race

On the ‘new’ Flanders route that has existed since 2012, the final 55 kilometres are the most crucial, with eight climbs, including a double dose of the Oude Kwaremont-Paterberg combination.

It was here that the key moves were made and on the Kwaremont it was Stijn Vandenbergh (Etixx-QuickStep) who accelerated. The Belgian was soon joined by Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale) and they closed in on the leaders over the Paterberg and Koppenberg, while behind them a group with, among others, Vanmarcke, Stuyven, Ian Stannard (Sky), Pieter Weening (Roompot Oranje Peloton) anticipated the Koppenberg and gained a small lead.

Claeys and Greipel crested the top of the Koppenberg first, while Stannard gapped Vanmarcke and the others. A little later Lars Boom (Astana) led the peloton ahead of Cancellara, Stijn Devolder (Trek-Segafredo) and Sagan as the race became tactical.  Jürgen Roelandts went solo on the Mariaborrestraat cobbles and ahead of the Taaienberg more outsiders escaped the peloton, including Devolder, Vanmarcke, Trentin and Jens Keukeleire (Orica-GreenEdge).

A sprint up the Taaienberg catapulted Cancellara, Sagan, Stybar, Boonen, Michael Kwiatkowski, Rowe and Thomas for Sky and others into the first peloton. This group quickly caught Stannard back.

A few moments later, when riding on a false flat section in Nukerke there was a strong acceleration from Kwiatkowski and Sagan. With a big effort Sep Vanmarcke managed to close the gap. There was hesitation, followed by panic, behind as riders realised the last two world champions were up the road with a thoroughbred Flandrien. Over the Kruisberg they went and the elite trio bridged up to the break with 25 kilometres remaining, with a lead of forty seconds over the main group of chasers.

Once on the cobbles of the Oude Kwaremont for the final time, Kwiatkowski had to let go of Sagan and Vanmarcke, while in the bunch nobody was able to keep up with Cancellara. The Swiss powerhouse stormed up the climb and reached the top in third place, 12 seconds behind Sagan and Vanmarcke. After the wide roads of the N36, Cancellara was caught back by Nikki Terpstra, Claeys and Erviti.

On the 20 per cent gradients of the Paterberg, Sagan put in a seated acceleration and Vanmarcke fell away. Cancellara soon caught him at the top and the duo set off in pursuit, but the world champion would never be seen again.

Results :

1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 6:10:37
2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:25
3 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:28
4 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha 0:00:49
5 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
6 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling
7 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team
8 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step
9 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
10 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx – Quick-Step
11 Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team
12 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
13 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:56
14 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:00
15 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
16 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:01:02
17 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:16
18 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team
19 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
20 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Bora-Argon 18
21 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge
22 Oliver Naesen (Bel) IAM Cycling
23 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
24 Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
25 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
26 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team 0:01:45
27 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 0:01:57
28 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:02:01
29 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha
30 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:02:03
31 Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
32 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky 0:02:09
33 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie 0:05:35
34 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
35 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team 0:07:19
36 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-GreenEdge
37 Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
38 Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
39 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
40 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal
41 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
42 Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling
43 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal
44 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ
45 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team
46 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie
47 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
48 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
49 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
50 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
51 Stijn Steels (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
52 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie
53 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge
54 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team
55 Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale Pro Cycling
56 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
57 Jesse Sergent (NZl) AG2R La Mondiale
58 Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Bora-Argon 18
59 Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
60 Stefan Kueng (Swi) BMC Racing Team
61 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
62 Tim Declercq (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
63 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal
64 Andrey Amador Bikkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
65 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
66 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie
67 Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
68 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling
69 Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
70 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) IAM Cycling
71 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
72 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
73 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
74 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
75 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
76 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
77 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky
78 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
79 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek-Segafredo
80 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
81 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha
82 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky
83 Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
84 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
85 Jan Barta (Cze) Bora-Argon 18
86 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Team
87 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
88 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data
89 Nils Politt (Ger) Team Katusha
90 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
91 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
92 Pieter Weening (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
93 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
94 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:07:32
95 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:12:48
96 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ
97 Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ
98 Yohann Gene (Fra) Direct Energie
99 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
100 Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
101 Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
102 Adrian Kurek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
103 Josef Cerny (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
104 Federico Zurlo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
105 Tomasz Kiendys (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
106 Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
107 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
108 Michael Gogl (Aut) Tinkoff Team
109 Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie
110 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ
111 Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
112 Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx – Quick-Step
113 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha
114 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling
115 Michel Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
116 Sergey Lagutin (Rus) Team Katusha
117 Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data
118 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Aleksei Tcatevich (Rus) Team Katusha
DNF Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha
DNF Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff Team
DNF Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff Team
DNF Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff Team
DNF Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF Grégory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
DNF Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
DNF Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
DNF Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
DNF Bram Tankink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF Matt Brammeier (Irl) Dimension Data
DNF Nick Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data
DNF Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data
DNF Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data
DNF Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data
DNF Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Maxime Daniel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
DNF Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana Pro Team
DNF Jack Bauer (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Matti Breschel (Den) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Kristoffer Skjerping (Nor) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
DNF Marc Sarreau (Fra) FDJ
DNF Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ
DNF Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ
DNF Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
DNF Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling
DNF Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling
DNF Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling
DNF Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF Gang Xu (Chn) Lampre – Merida
DNF Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Lampre – Merida
DNF Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF Marko Kump (Slo) Lampre – Merida
DNF Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida
DNF Jorge Arcas Pena (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team
DNF Dayer Uberney Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
DNF Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Sam Bewley (NZl) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Jack Haig (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNF Jonas Rickaert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Amaury Capiot (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
DNF Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Kenny De Haes (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
DNF Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Ralf Matzka (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Argon 18
DNF Nikolay Mihaylov (Bul) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Patryk Stosz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Julien Morice (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Kai Reus (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Wesley Kreder (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Ivar Slik (Ned) Roompot – Oranje Peloton
DNF Andrea Dal Col (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF Giuseppe Fonzi (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF Matteo Draperi (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF Mirko Tedeschi (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF Mirko Trosino (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF Enrique Sanz (Spa) Southeast – Venezuela
DNS Andrea Fedi (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela