Hermans holds off pack for Brabantse Pijl win
BMC rider survives from breakaway
Ben Hermans (BMC) held off the chasers with a huge effort on the final climb to win De Brabantse Pijl- La Flèche Brabançonne.
The Belgian race traditionally marks the switch from the cobbled Classics to the Ardennes Classics and the tough, twisting final circuits usually inspire some aggressive racing.
Hermans was in a late attack with David Tanner (IAM Cycling) that seemed doomed to be caught but he dug deep and managed to win alone, as the chasers scrambled for the placings. Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge) tried to lead out the sprint in pursuit of Hermans but could only finish second. 2014 winner and perhaps the BMC team leader for the race, Philippe Gilbert, finished third. Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) was fourth and Davide Rebellin (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) was fifth.
Hermans needed time to catch his breath and understand what he had achieved before riding to the podium area. It was only the third win of his professional career, and the first since taking the Trofeo Inca in Mallorca back in 2011.
"The race was really hard in the beginning but I could stay on the wheels and save energy," he said. "I’ve done this race several times and I’d suffered in the past. But I told Philippe (Gilbert) that (I felt good) and said he should tell me if he wants to me to make the race hard and go in a counter-attack. That’s what I did and it went all good and I could win the race."
"I was very scared of being caught. You don’t have many chances to win a race in this way, if you’re not explosive and you don’t have a sprint like Philippe, you don’t have many chances. I was in a good position and had to push all the watts I had and lucky it was enough."
Matthews was disappointed to finish second for a second consecutive year but promised to try again in 2016.
"I had really good legs today and my team positioned me really well but unfortunately I had no teammates left in the last 15km. I just had to play my cards hoping that another team as going to bring it back. Unfortunately I won the sprint to the line but it was second, not for first."
"This is a race that suits me and that I enjoy racing. It’s really nice weather today and it’s a positive race to prepare for the Ardennes too. I’ll be back next year, trying to win it," he said.
How it happened
The 205km race route includes 26 tough climbs, with a loop south of Brussels via Waterloo after the start in the centre of Leuven, east of the capital. The climbs come thick and fast in the second half of the race on the tough 27km circuit that is covered four times.
Kirsch was dropped quite quickly as the climbs started to take their toll but the other two ploughed on, making the peloton chase hard and causing a natural selection out of the back of the race. They were eventually caught with 30km to go but other attacks quickly formed as the huge crowds cheered them up the climbs.
Tanner and Hermans went away as BMC set up its tactical plan for Gilbert, with others setting off in pursuit of the pair. The chasing group of eight riders included Fabio Felline (Trek Factory Racing) and Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar) but the peloton was preparing for the final and pulled back mid-way through the final lap.
Only Hermans and Tanner remained out front and had a 30-second lead with seven kilometres to go. It seemed they would be caught and Tanner faded on a climb, but Hermans powered on alone. Behind the Etixx-QuickStep team set up an attack by Julian Alaphilippe but he was quickly caught as CCC Sprandi rode for Rebellin and BMC protected Gilbert.
Hermans focused on reaching the finishing straight and then eased up to savour his solo victory. Matthews lead out the sprint and won it well but it was second place, with Gilbert and the rest of the chase group just behind him.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 4:45:14 |
2 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | 0:00:02 |
3 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
4 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal | |
5 | Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
6 | Nathan Haas (Aus) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
7 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | |
8 | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Team Roompot Oranje Peloton | |
9 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
10 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling | |
11 | Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
12 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar | |
13 | Rudy Molard (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
14 | Rasmus Guldhammer (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
15 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Roompot Oranje Peloton | |
16 | Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | 0:00:14 |
17 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:00:16 |
18 | Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:00:19 |
19 | Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
20 | Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
21 | Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:00:24 |
22 | Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
23 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) IAM Cycling | |
24 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:28 |
25 | Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:00:32 |
26 | Gianni Meersman (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
27 | Huub Duyn (Ned) Team Roompot Oranje Peloton | 0:00:38 |
28 | Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:00:42 |
29 | Paul Voss (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | 0:00:47 |
30 | David Tanner (Aus) IAM Cycling | |
31 | Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Argon 18 | 0:00:52 |
32 | Serge Pauwels (Bel) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:00:53 |
33 | Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:01:02 |
34 | Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
35 | Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
36 | Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
37 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
38 | Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) IAM Cycling | 0:01:05 |
39 | Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
40 | Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:09 |
41 | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Southeast | |
42 | Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | 0:01:23 |
43 | Björn Leukemans (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:01:32 |
44 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
45 | Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 0:01:45 |
46 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:01:51 |
47 | David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | 0:02:02 |
48 | Fabio Taborre (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:02:06 |
49 | Mike Terpstra (Ned) Team Roompot Oranje Peloton | |
50 | Marco Bandiera (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:02:16 |
51 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:02:31 |
52 | Simone Ponzi (Ita) Southeast | 0:02:53 |
53 | Marc Demaar (Ned) Team Roompot Oranje Peloton | |
54 | Dominik Nerz (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | |
55 | Stefan Schumacher (Ger) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
56 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Argon 18 | |
57 | Youcef Reguigui (Alg) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:02:58 |
58 | Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | |
59 | Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
60 | Davide Villella (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:03:03 |
61 | Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
62 | Clément Venturini (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
63 | Bryan Coquard (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:03:22 |
64 | Francis De Greef (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | 0:04:39 |
65 | Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | 0:05:53 |
66 | Arthur Van Overberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
67 | Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
68 | Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk | |
69 | Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
70 | Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Roompot Oranje Peloton | |
71 | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
72 | Kiel Reijnen (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
73 | Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek Factory Racing | |
74 | Patrick Schelling (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
75 | Natnael Berhane (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
76 | Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
77 | Yannick Eijssen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
78 | Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | |
79 | Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
80 | Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
81 | Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
82 | Bartlomiej Matysiak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
83 | Branislau Samoilau (Blr) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
84 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
85 | Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
86 | Florian Vachon (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
87 | Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team | |
88 | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
89 | Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
90 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
91 | Matej Mohoric (Slo) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:10:14 |
92 | Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
93 | Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
94 | Thierry Hupond (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
95 | Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
96 | Marco Benfatto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
97 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
98 | Nick Van Der Lijke (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
99 | Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
100 | Matteo Busato (Ita) Southeast | |
101 | Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
102 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal | |
103 | Thomas Degand (Bel) IAM Cycling | |
104 | Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:10:35 |
105 | Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
106 | Federico Zurlo (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Campbell Flakemore (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Biel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
DNF | Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
DNF | Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Pirmin Lang (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Gert Dockx (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Damien Howson (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
DNF | Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
DNF | Christian Meier (Can) Orica GreenEdge | |
DNF | Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
DNF | Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEdge | |
DNF | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Cheng Ji (Chn) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
DNF | Fredrik Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
DNF | Brian Bulgac (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
DNF | Barry Markus (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
DNF | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
DNF | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo | |
DNF | Gert Steegmans (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Calvin Watson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing | |
DNF | Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Carlos Galviz (Ven) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Alberto Nardin (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Frantisek Padour (Cze) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Andrea Piechele (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | |
DNF | Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Bora-Argon 18 | |
DNF | Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Bora-Argon 18 | |
DNF | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
DNF | Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
DNF | Brice Feillu (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
DNF | Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
DNF | Grega Bole (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
DNF | Marek Rutkiewicz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
DNF | Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Adrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Karel Hnik (Cze) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Alex Kirsch (Lux) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Christian Mager (Ger) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Michael Reihs (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Martin Mortensen (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Joel Zangerle (Lux) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Nick Dougall (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
DNF | Songezo Jim (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
DNF | Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
DNF | Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Team Roompot Oranje Peloton | |
DNF | Jesper Asselman (Ned) Team Roompot Oranje Peloton | |
DNF | Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Southeast | |
DNF | Giorgio Cecchinel (Ita) Southeast | |
DNF | Samuele Conti (Ita) Southeast | |
DNF | Elia Favilli (Ita) Southeast | |
DNF | Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Southeast | |
DNF | Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Julien Morice (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Bryan Naulleau (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Angelo Tulik (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Kevin De Mesmaeker (Bel) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Nicolas Lefrancois (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Christopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
DNF | Davide Frattini (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Daniele Ratto (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Tim De Troyer (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Lander Seynaeve (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Marinus Cornelis Minnaard (Ned) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNS | Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNS | Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNS | Nathan Brown (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
DNS | Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team |
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