Langeveld wins Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Dutchman edges defending champion Flecha in Ghent
Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank) edged out last year's winner Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky) in a close sprint to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Langeveld threw his bike at the line and won a few centimetres to take the biggest win of his career. He collected the kisses and the praise on the podium, with Matt Hayman joining his teammate Flecha on the podium after taking third place ahead of Yoann Offredo (FDJ).
“I worked very hard for the victory and I'm going to take my time to enjoy it,” Langeveld said.
The Dutchman rode aggressively in the rain-soaked race, launching a solo attack in the middle of the key hilly section of the race with more than 50km left to race.
He quickly gained a gap of half a minute on a chase group while all the big-name favourites were riding in the remains of the peloton just under a minute down. On the Leberg climb, Flecha launched a counter-attack together with Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step) out of the peloton.
“On the Leberg it was time to gamble and I had the legs to go there,” Flecha said.
The Spaniard first caught up with the group of chasers and then he left them on the cobbles of the Paddestraat when there were less than 30km to race. At that moment the gap between Flecha and Langeveld was more than a minute. Langeveld and Flecha fought out an intense pursuit but the Spaniard closed the gap second by second on his former Rabobank teammate.
With 15km to go, Flecha joined up with Langeveld and the two were set for a two-man sprint.
“I didn't wait for Flecha but when he came back I saw that he didn't have much left in his tank. I knew that he would try to attack. If I could neutralize that attack I would be mentally at an advantage,” Langeveld said.
The final kilometres unfolded as Langeveld predicted but in the sprint Flecha surprisingly turned out to be much faster than expected. “Normally Langeveld is faster but after such a race it's different. I wasn't as sure as he was that he’d won but in the end he was ten centimetres faster today,” Flecha conceded.
In the first chase group there were several attacks in the final kilometres and a minute after the close sprint, it was Hayman who showed up first at the St-Peter's square in Ghent, just ahead of the surprising young French rider Yoann Offredo (FDJ). The other chasers were just behind, with the main peloton at five minutes and another cold and wet group at almost ten minutes.
All the action
The first half of the race was marked by a breakaway by Sébastien Delfosse (Landbouwkrediet-KDL), Steven Van Vooren (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator), Bram Schmitz and Steven Caethoven (Veranda's Willems-Accent), Aleksejs Saramotins (Cofidis), Mathieu Ladagnous (FDJ), Ronan van Zandbeek (Skil-Shimano) and Sébastien Chavanel (Europcar). The group build up a lead of almost eight minutes. However the foul weather made it a hard race and by the time the race started in earnest front many riders were already at their limit.
On the cobbles of Donderij, with 65km to go, the race started in the peloton when the riders from Sky and then Tom Boonen (Quick-Step) upping the speed. When arriving at the Taaienberg – also known as Boonenberg – the peloton was stretched out. Boonen led the peloton over the cobbled climb in the asphalted gutter, with world champion Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo) just behind him. In between the Taaienberg and the Eikenberg climbs, the pace remained high thanks to the efforts of Offredo and Hushovd.
The early breakaway was quickly caught and Langeveld used the Eikenberg to go clear. Behind him the favourites were playing a waiting game. A group including John Degenkolb (HTC-Highroad), Hayman, Manuel Quinziato (BMC), Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Cervélo) went away after him. Little later another group left the main peloton featuring Fréderic Amorison (Landbouwkrediet-KDL), Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Lars Boom (Rabobank) and Luca Paolini (Katusha).
When Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step) set a high pace on the Leberg he ended up riding away with Flecha. The chase groups came together behind sole leader Langeveld, who still had a lead of more than a minute. Flecha put the hammer down on the cobbles of the Paddestraat and set off in pursuit, and from there the great finale with Langeveld unfolded.
Flecha seemed the favourite to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for a second year but the young Dutchman had no plans to give up as he showed with his perfect sprint.
1 | Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 5:18:03 |
2 | Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling | 0:01:01 |
4 | Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ | 0:01:04 |
5 | Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team | 0:01:21 |
6 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quickstep Cycling Team | 0:01:24 |
7 | Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 0:01:30 |
8 | Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Frédéric Amorison (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | 0:01:34 |
12 | John Degenkolb (Ger) HTC-Highroad | 0:01:39 |
13 | Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Leopard Trek | 0:05:05 |
14 | Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Katusha Team | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Russell Downing (GBr) Sky Procycling | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Katusha Team | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quickstep Cycling Team | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Leopard Trek | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Leif Hoste (Bel) Katusha Team | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
31 | Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
33 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) Team Garmin-Cervelo | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Andreas Klier (Ger) Team Garmin-Cervelo | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
35 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Hayden Roulston (NZl) HTC-Highroad | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
38 | Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) HTC-Highroad | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Gianni Meersman (Bel) FDJ | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | 0:09:22 |
46 | Lars Ytting Bak (Den) HTC-Highroad | 0:10:41 |
47 | Kristof Goddaert (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Bert De Backer (Bel) Skil - Shimano | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Alex Rasmussen (Den) HTC-Highroad | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Omega Pharma-Lotto | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Bram Schmitz (Ned) Veranda's Willems - Accent | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Roy Curvers (Ned) Skil - Shimano | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Koen De Kort (Ned) Skil - Shimano | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Wim De Vocht (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Stijn Devolder (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
62 | Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Johan Coenen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Karsten Kroon (Ned) BMC Racing Team | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
67 | Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Katusha Team | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
69 | Dominic Klemme (Ger) Leopard Trek | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
72 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
73 | Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
74 | Roger Hammond (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
75 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
76 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
77 | Geert Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | 0:14:29 |
78 | Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
79 | Dieter Cappelle (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
80 | Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Omega Pharma-Lotto | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
81 | William Clarke (Aus) Leopard Trek | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
82 | Vladimir Isaichev (Rus) Katusha Team | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
83 | Dominique Cornu (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
84 | Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
85 | David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
86 | Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Landbouwkrediet | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
87 | Geert Verheyen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
88 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
89 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Team Netapp | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
90 | Timon Seubert (Ger) Team Netapp | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
91 | Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Saur - Sojasun | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
92 | James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Veranda's Willems - Accent | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
93 | Arnoud Van Groen (Ned) Veranda's Willems - Accent | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
94 | Damien Gaudin (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
95 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) HTC-Highroad | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
96 | Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Team Garmin-Cervelo | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
97 | Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
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