Colbrelli wins Brabantse Pijl
By Cycling News
Quick-Step defense foiled by Italian
Bahrain-Merida’s Sonny Colbrelli surged to victory at Wednesday’s Brabantse Pijl, getting clear of the peloton with a select group in the final 40 kilometres and taking a convincing win at the line in Overijse.
Defending champion Petr Vakoc (Quick-Step Floors) bridged up to the move in the closing kilometres to claim runner-up honours on the day, while Lotto Soudal’s Tiesj Benoot rounded out the podium in third.
"That was a tough race today, and we had to work really hard to stay out of reach of the peloton," Colbrelli said before the podium ceremony. "I’m very happy to have won this race, all the more so as the Quick-Step team tried all it could in the finale. This was the best possible preparation for the Amstel Gold Race, both for me and the entire team."
Colbrelli was instrumental in springing the decisive move, jumping clear just as the bunch was closing down on the day’s main breakaway. With teammate Grega Bole in the escape, along with the likes of Benoot, Silvan Dillier (BMC Racing) and Christopher Juul-Jensen (Orica-Scott), the move quickly opened up a gap as the peloton reabsorbed riders form the early breakaway.
Although their advantage never stretched out too much more than 30 seconds, and with several teams in the peloton hoping to close things down before the finish, the escape stubbornly hung on out front, with Colbrelli exhorting his fellow escapees to push on at every opportunity.
Vakoc and Lotto Soudal’s Tim Wellens came across in the run-in to the uphill finish, but Colbrelli was not to be denied, easily winning the sprint to the line.
"We had two guys in the front group, so we just kept an eye on them and controlled the others in case they would try an attack in order to close the gap," Vakoc said. "When Tim went, I followed immediately and we joined the leaders inside the final kilometers. I tried to surprise the group with an attack but couldn't drop them. Then Dries [Devenyns] did a perfect job leading me out and I was confident in my sprint, but unfortunately there was a stronger rider than me today.
"I won't hide that I'm a bit disappointed, because Brabantse Pijl is my favourite race of the year and I really wanted the victory," Vakoc said. "But at the same time, this give me even more motivation for Amstel Gold Race."
How it unfolded
The breakaway wasted little time animating the 197km Belgian 1.HC race from Leuven to Overijse, with a group of six going clear in the early kilometres to face the many Ardennes climbs dotted along the course.
The six were Jacques Van Rensburg (Dimension Data), Adam Blythe (Aqua Blue Sport), Lorenzo Rota (Bardiani CSF), Zak Dempster (Israel Cycling Academy), Christophe Prémont (Vérandas Willems-Crelan) and Christophe Masson (WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect).
The group lost Prémont on the first hills of the day, but after just 27km of racing, the five remaining escapees extended their lead to 6:45 over a peloton recovering from a fast opening salvo. Quick-Step Floors and Team Sunweb took up the chasing duties and brought the gap down to 5:50 as the leaders’ advantage continued to slowly come back down.
With 90km remaining, the breakaway’s advantage was down to just 2:42, and the leaders’ effort suffered another blow when Dempster dropped his chain on a cobbled climb and was unable to regain contact.
Van Rensburg, Blythe, Rota and Masson continued on, but their gap was down to less than a minute with 65km to go as they started the first of three 23km finishing circuits that featured five climbs – Hagaard, Hertstraat, Holstheide, IJskelderlaan and Schavei – on each lap.
With the quartet up front leading by just a handful of seconds, the Colbrelli-led counter-attack of about a dozen riders formed a chase, closing in on the breakaway as they approached the start of the penultimate lap.
The chase group quickly caught and dispatched the early breakaway riders, with the new lead group including Bole, Benoot, Laurens De Plus (Quick-Step Floors), Dries Devenyns (Quick-Step Floors), Toms Skujins (Cannondale-Drapac), Juul Jensen (Orica-Scott), Silvan Dillier (BMC Racing), Bert-Jan Lindeman (LottoNL-Jumbo), Victor Campenaerts (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Stijn Devolder (Vérandas Willems-Crelan), among others.
The punchy cobbled climbs on the closing circuit quickly whittled that group down to eight, and they carried just 18 seconds into the final lap. Direct Energie took up the chasing duties, eventually handing off to Cannondale-Drapac, but the leaders’ advantage jumped to 28 seconds with 8.5km to go.
The leaders carried less than 10 seconds into the final climb at 2km, and whether the winner would come from the escape or the chase remained unclear, although the breakaway got a boost when Vakoc bridged up with Wellens and immediately went to the front to add some horsepower.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | 4:44:22 |
2 | Petr Vakoc (Cze) Quick-Step Floors | |
3 | Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
4 | Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
5 | Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
6 | Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-Scott | |
7 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
8 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
9 | Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 0:00:06 |
10 | Laurens De Plus (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
11 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb | 0:00:12 |
12 | Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
13 | Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
14 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | |
15 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
16 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac | 0:00:16 |
17 | Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
18 | Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
19 | Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
20 | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
21 | Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Aqua Blue Sport | |
22 | Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
23 | Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
24 | Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
25 | Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
26 | Nick Van Der Lijke (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
27 | Jack Haig (Aus) Orica-Scott | |
28 | Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
29 | Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Dimension Data | |
30 | Huub Duijn (Ned) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
31 | Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
32 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
33 | Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
34 | Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
35 | Jan Tratnik (Slo) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
36 | Martijn Budding (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
37 | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
38 | Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
39 | Yoann Bagot (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
40 | Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
41 | Sean De Bie (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
42 | Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
43 | Bernardo Suaza (Col) Manzana Postobon | |
44 | Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:00:24 |
45 | Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:27 |
46 | Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
47 | Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
48 | Artem Nych (Rus) Gazprom – Rusvelo | |
49 | Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-Scott | 0:00:31 |
50 | Aleksei Tcatevich (Rus) Gazprom – Rusvelo | 0:00:41 |
51 | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
52 | Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-Scott | |
53 | Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | 0:00:46 |
54 | Igor Boev (Rus) Gazprom – Rusvelo | |
55 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
56 | Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal | |
57 | Gregory Habeaux (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
58 | Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
59 | Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
60 | Mark Christian (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | |
61 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-Scott | |
62 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Aqua Blue Sport | |
63 | Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale-Drapac | 0:01:04 |
64 | Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | 0:01:07 |
65 | Jerome Cousin (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:01:35 |
66 | Loïc Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:46 |
67 | Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data | 0:01:52 |
68 | Brendan Canty (Aus) Cannondale-Drapac | 0:02:18 |
69 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | 0:02:29 |
70 | Jonas Koch (Ger) CCC Srandi Polkowice | |
71 | Gaetan Bille (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | 0:02:56 |
72 | Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | 0:02:59 |
73 | Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Drapac | 0:03:23 |
74 | Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Cannondale-Drapac | 0:04:45 |
75 | Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
76 | Jakub Kaczmarek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
77 | Stijn Devolder (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
78 | Kilian Frankiny (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
79 | Tim Ariesen (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
80 | Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
81 | Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 0:05:19 |
82 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:06:51 |
83 | Benjamin Perry (Can) Israel Cycling Academy | 0:07:08 |
84 | Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
85 | José Manuel Díaz (Spa) Israel Cycling Academy | |
86 | Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida | |
87 | Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
88 | Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
89 | Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
90 | Kevin Deltombe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
91 | Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Quick-Step Floors | |
92 | David Lozano (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | |
93 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
94 | Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
95 | Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
96 | Adrian Kurek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
97 | Lennard Kämna (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
98 | Meiyin Wang (Chn) Bahrain-Merida | |
99 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
100 | Antoine Warnier (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
101 | Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Dimension Data | |
102 | Frantisek Sisr (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
103 | Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
104 | Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
105 | Sergey Nikolaev (Rus) Gazprom – Rusvelo | |
106 | Florian Vachon (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
107 | Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
108 | Fernando Orjuela (Col) Manzana Postobon | |
109 | Juan Pablo Villegas (Col) Manzana Postobon | |
110 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data | |
111 | Remy Mertz (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
112 | Rob Power (Aus) Orica-Scott | |
113 | Steven Lammertink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
114 | Javier Megias (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | |
115 | Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension Data | |
116 | Jhojan Garcia (Col) Manzana Postobon | 0:07:51 |
117 | Christophe Masson (Fra) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
118 | Piet Allegaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
119 | Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Cycling Academy | 0:08:11 |
120 | Tom Bohli (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
121 | Enric Mas (Spa) Quick-Step Floors | |
122 | Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data | |
123 | Roman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom – Rusvelo | |
124 | Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom – Rusvelo | |
125 | Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale-Drapac | 0:08:15 |
126 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:09:45 |
127 | Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | 0:12:29 |
DNF | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Justin Jules (Fra) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
DNF | Lukas Spengler (Swi) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
DNF | Yecid Arturo Sierra (Col) Manzana Postobon | |
DNF | Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Juan Jose Amador (Col) Manzana Postobon | |
DNF | Romain Guillemois (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Tyler Williams (USA) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
DNF | Pierre Luc Perichon (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | |
DNF | Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) Gazprom – Rusvelo | |
DNF | Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Gazprom – Rusvelo | |
DNF | Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Roy Goldstein (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Mihkel Räim (Est) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data | |
DNF | Ben O'Connor (Aus) Dimension Data | |
DNF | Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Chris Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-Scott | |
DNF | Adam Blythe (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | |
DNF | Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Aqua Blue Sport | |
DNF | Andrew Fenn (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | |
DNF | Martyne Irvine (Irl) Aqua Blue Sport | |
DNF | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Aqua Blue Sport | |
DNF | Marco Maronese (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Mirco Maestri (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Jetse Bol (Ned) Manzana Postobon | |
DNF | Juan Sebastian Molano (Col) Manzana Postobon | |
DNF | Etienne Van Empel (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Aime De Gendt (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
DNF | Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Gerd De Keijzer (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Hendrikus Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica-Scott | |
DNF | Christophe Prémont (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Hamish Schreurs (NZl) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Elias Van Breussegem (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Stef Van Zummeren (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Tim Declercq (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
DNF | Martin Velits (Svk) Quick-Step Floors | |
DNF | David Per (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
DNF | Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | William Clarke (Aus) Cannondale-Drapac | |
DNF | Brian Kamstra (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
DNF | Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNS | Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty - Groupe Gobert |
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