Andrey Amador (Movistar)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Andrey Amador (Movistar) leads the three man break(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Arnaud Demare (FDJ) and Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
It wasn't a great day for Spartacus(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara (Trek) pokes out the tongue(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Danish champion Michael Morkov (Tinkoff-Saxo) feels the cobbles(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) close up(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Eddy Boasson Hagen (Sky)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Danny van Poppel (Trek Factory Racing)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sam Bennett (NetApp Endura)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant Shimano) enjoys the winners' champagne(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stage winner Lieuwe Westra (Astana)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fastest team and now warmest, Garmin-Sharp(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sprint jersey winner, Michel Kock (Cannondale)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mountain classification winner Stef Clement (Belkin)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Third place overall, Tejay van Garderen (BMC)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A very cold Rigoberto Uran(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fast man Anthony Roux (FDJ)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Anthony Roux (FDJ)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome (Sky) crashed on the final stage as he finished sixth overall(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alberto Contador was just four seconds off claiming the overall(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
by Guoqiang SongTour of Hainan(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Race winner Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) on the cobbles(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Kristoff is protected by Katusha teammates Vladimir Gusev and Alexey Tsatevitch(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Race director Frank Hoste(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Nick Nuyens(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Raymond Kreder (Garmin Sharp)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Kristian Sbaragli (MTN Qhubeka)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lars Boom (Belkin) with tape over his injured elbow(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Devolder drives the tete de la course the the finishline(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen in the bunch(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
2014 champion, John Degenkolb (Giant Shimano)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The podium of Demare, Degenkolb and Sagan(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stijn Devolder's escape group almost snatched a surprise win(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Dylan van Baarle (Garmin Sharp) on the cobbles(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Christian Knees (Sky)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Arnaud Demare and Peter Sagan get ready for the podium(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Arnaud Demare (FDJ) was second(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Trek Factory Racing(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cannonale sign on en masse(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Omega Pharma-Quick Step sign on(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Dylan van Baarle (Garmin Sharp)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jens Mouris (Oirca-GreenEdge) on the cobbles(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Geraint Thomas (Sky) and Matti Breschel (Tinkoff-Saxo) in action at Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) en route to victory at Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
NetApp-Endura teammates Paul Voss and Daniel Schorn crashed heavily in the Gent-Wevelgem finale(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff-Saxo) alone in the lead(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Robert Wagner (Belkin)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Lars Boom (Belkin)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Belisol) en route to a 10th place finish at Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) climb on the cobbles(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) in action during Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Belgian champion Stijn Devolder (Trek Factory Racing) would figure prominently in the Gent-Wevelgem finale(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale) tackle the cobbles during Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Gent-Wevelgem peloton passes a cemetary(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Gent-Wevelgem peloton in full flight in the sprint to the finish.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stijn Devolder (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Silvan Dillier (BMC) and Andrey Amador (Movistar) formed a dangerous escape late in Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The peloton in action during the 2014 edition of Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen had his injured thumb wrapped up for Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The peloton in action during the 2014 edition of Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The peloton in action during the 2014 edition of Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
A frustrating end to Gent-Wevelgem for German champion Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol) who crashed with 8km remaining.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Marcel Sieberg checks on Lotto Belisol teammate Andre Greipel who crashed in the final kilometres(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Paul Voss (NetApp-Endura) was one of the riders who crashed in the hectic Gent-Wevelgem finale(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) celebrates victory at Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) won a tight final sprint at Gent-Wevelgem ahead of Arnaud Demare (FDJ.fr) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
2014 Gent-Wevelgem podium (L-R): Arnaud Demare (FDJ.fr), John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) wins Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: AFP)
Peter Sagan congratulates John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) for his Gent-Wevelgem victory(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) raises his arms in triumph(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) shows his winnnig smile(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) gets ready to celebrate with his teammates(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) beat Demare and Sagan to win Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb gives Giant-Shimano another big win(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) enjoys his victory(Image credit: AFP)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) wins Gent-Wevelgem with a throw to the line(Image credit: AFP)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) hugs a teammate(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) celebrates his victory(Image credit: AFP)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) sprinted to victory at Gent-Wevelgem ahead of Arnaud Demare (FDJ.fr) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale) after a high-speed, hectic race on the hills and WW1 battle fields of Flanders. Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) placed fourth, followed by Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) in fifth in the sprint but a crash took down Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol) and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) in the final kilometres.
The two climbs of the Kemmelberg did little to test the favourites and only a late attack by Belgian champion Stijn Devolder (Trek Factory Racing), Silvan Dillier (BMC) and Andrey Amador (Movistar) almost spoilt the sprinters' party. However the move was neutralised inside the final two kilometres by a peloton approximately 40 strong. Everyone seemed to think they could win, sparking a trail of crashes but while Sagan hit out too early and Demare left it a little late, Degenkolb opened his sprint at the right moment and won in style.
Degenkolb blew kisses to the television camera as he celebrated his victory. "This is one of the really big Classics and I'm very happy to get this victory," he said.
"This is the next step in my career. I won Hamburg and that's a WorldTour race but with respect to it, this is a big, big race. It's great to win here."
How it happened
The conditions at the start of the 76th edition of Gent-Wevelgem, in Deinze were in stark contrast with those from last year.
Last year riders got back in the their team buses after signing on and then drove to Gistel due to the snow covering many roads. This time around temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius plus nearly no wind created an enjoyable start setting for the peloton. Knowing that the wind would not result in echelons at the feared flatlands of the Moeren made most riders very relaxed.
Straight from the start five riders attacked with no reaction from the peloton. The riders in the early breakaway move were Sebastian Lander (BMC), Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff-Saxo), Marcel Aregger (IAM), Jaco Venter (MTN-Qhubeka) and Frederik Veuchelen (Wanty-Groupe Robert). In less than an hour of racing the five had a lead of ten minutes on the peloton where Frederik Willems (Lotto-Belisol) set a steady pace for more than 100km.
When reaching the first climb of the day in France, the Mont Cassel, after 115km of racing the gap was down to eight minutes. During the 40km-long French passage the gap continued to fall and when heading back into Belgium 85km from the finish – two climbs later – the leaders had only 5:30 left on the peloton.
The emphasis of the hill zone was the trio of climbs comprised of the Baneberg, Kemmelberg and Monteberg with all to be completed two times. The leaders reached the zone three minutes up on the peloton and during the first loop Lander was dropped up front as Boaro and Veuchelen set a fierce pace.
Meanwhile, a pair of crashes in the peloton knocked some pre-race favourites out of contention. The first incident before the Kemmelberg took out Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) and on the roads following the Monteberg Ian Stannard (Sky) ended up in the ditch. Both Ventoso and Stannard would be brought to the hospital as a result of their crashes.
Some riders anticipated the second loop and launched an attack. Silvan Dillier (BMC), Lloyd Mondory (AG2R La Mondiale), Andrey Grivko (Astana) and Antonio Parrinello (Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela) jumped away and took half a minute on the peloton.
When starting the second loop of climbs the sun disappeared and so did most of the leaders. Boaro immediately attacked and led the race solo. The rest of the former lead group were quickly swept up by the four counter-attackers. The pace increased in the peloton and at the back Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) was struggling hard, seemingly in no shape to battle for the victory this Sunday afternoon.
In the run-up towards the Kemmelberg there was a big crash at the back of the peloton with Christopher Sutton (Team Sky) the biggest casualty. Boaro survived the Kemmelberg in front of the peloton where Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) led the peloton up the climb. Pre-race favourites Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing), Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) were all in the front of the peloton as well.
Eighteen riders separated themselves from the peloton over the iconic cobbled climb with André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) surprisingly surviving the cut. More riders managed to bridge back up to the first group before the Monteberg. At the top of the Monteberg the final breakaway rider, Boaro, was finally caught. With 35km to go most of the sprinters featured in the front of the race and there was little time left for attackers to prevent a field sprint finale. Cancellara, Sagan and Boonen all took pulls in front but no more damage was done. The race looked set for a high-speed sprint finish.
With 30km to go it was clear that about 80 riders were still in the mix for the win with the bulk of the work in the peloton shared by BMC, Lotto-Belisol and Garmin-Sharp. Then Devolder dragged the late attack clear, setting up for the dramatic finale. Degenkolb avoided the crashes and chaos to find the best line to the finish and so add his name to the rich list of former winners.
Full Results
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1
John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano
5:34:37
2
Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ.fr
Row 1 - Cell 2
3
Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale
Row 2 - Cell 2
4
Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team
Row 3 - Cell 2
5
Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team
Row 4 - Cell 2
6
Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise