Greg Van Avermaet wins Gent-Wevelgem
Keukeleire and Sagan complete podium
Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) became the first rider since Jan Raas in 1981 to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem in the same season. The Belgian held off Orica-Scott's Jens Keukeleire with Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) finishing in third.
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Van Avermaet, enjoying the best season of his career so far, was a cut above the opposition, having been a threat on the final ascent of the Kemmelberg and following the key moves – or making them himself – until forming a winning escape in the closing kilometres.
It looked as though Sagan would be in contention to defend his 2016 crown when he Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors), and Soren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb) created an impressive five-man group with Van Avermaet and Keukeleire with around 20 kilometres to go, but when Sagan and Niki Terpstra were unable to collaborate in the closing stages Keukeleire and Van Avermaet took their cue and opened up an unbridgeable gap. Despite a late chase from the world champion, Van Avermaet and Keukeleire entered the finishing straight with plenty of time to spare, and despite leading out from the front Van Avermaet had held off a plucky challenge from his fellow Belgian in the two-man sprint.
Sagan crossed the line in third, visibly disappointed with how others had raced against him. As for Van Avermaet, the march towards the Tour of Flanders continues.
"First, we rode away with a big group after the Kemmel and the co-operation wasn't 100 per cent. Then, we rode away with five riders and still the co-operation wasn't 100 per cent. There are always a few riders who want to save something, apparently," " said Van Avermaet.
On the defining split with Keukeleire, he added: "I didn't know about it because I was just doing my pull in front, when Fabio was shouting in my ear that we were with the two of us. I had to hurry to get to the wheel of Jens. "From there we kept going flat out. I suffered because it was full gas until the finish. We only had ten seconds. I preferred to ride to the finish with Jens then to do it with the three others."
How it unfolded
The sun was out at the start of the 79th edition of Gent-Wevelgem in Deinze. The 200 riders lined up in the crowded Deinze market square and paid tribute to Antoine Demoitié before taking the start. Last year, Demoitié died following a crash and collision with a motorbike during the race. After a small loop in Deinze, the peloton headed west for the first of 246 kilometres, with a passage through De Moeren part of the route. The pace was extremely fast early on, averaging 50 km/h during the first hour. Nevertheless, a group of nine riders escaped the peloton with Preben Van Hecke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Dennis van Winden (Israel Cycling Academy), Elmar Reinders (Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij), Hugo Houle (AG2R La Mondiale), Ryan Mullen (Cannondale-Drapac), Mark McNally (Wanty Groupe - Gobert), Jay Thomson (Team Dimension Data), Loïc Chetout (Cofidis, Solutions Credits) and Christophe Masson (WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect). The gap quickly grew to six minutes with FDJ taking the lead in the peloton.
As soon as the race hit the Catsberg, the peloton started splitting apart, partly due to the climbs but also because of the crashes on the narrow roads. After seven climbs, BMC used the crosswinds as a weapon and they accelerated, causing major damage in the peloton.
The pace briefly dropped before the first ascent of the Kemmelberg with 75 kilometres remaining. The climb split the group with only Chetout and Van Hecke able to stay clear.
Quick-Step Floors were quick to take the initiative. The gravel roads, a new feature of the race, saw Zdenek Stybar launch an attack on the first of three 'Plugstreets'. A few riders joined him and they bridged up to the former breakaway riders. In the peloton, Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) punctured on the gravel roads and the Norwegian was forced to chase back.
Just before the tenth climb of the day, the Baneberg, there was another crash in the peloton, near the front of the bunch. Katusha's Tony Martin, LottoNl-Jumbo's Tom Leezer and Sky's Gianni Moscon were among the casualties. Sagan narrowly escaped trouble, using his cyclo-cross skills to stay out of danger. Shortly thereafter, the peloton caught the riders off the front, resetting the race.
On the final ascent of the Kemmelberg, Van Avermaet powered away. Sagan worked his way through traffic to join the Belgian rider in the move. John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Dimension Data), Stybar and Terpstra bridged on the descent. Sagan tried hard to keep a second group from bridging up but at 30 kilometres from the finish, Keukeleire, Kragh Andersen, Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale), Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb), Matteo Trentin (Quick-Step Floors), Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida), Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale-Drapac) and Scott Thwaites (Team Dimension Data) made contact.
With 22 kilometres to go, the leaders rode through Ypres with a bonus of 30 seconds on the peloton but the co-operation was gone. Keukeleire was the first to attack. He was caught back, but then tried for a second time. This time he was joined by Van Avermaet. Sagan bridged up solo, as Terpstra and Andersen did the same a few moments later.
The five leaders quickly established a 15-second lead on the chasers but with just over 15km to go Terpstra refused to come through after Sagan had taken a turn. Van Avermaet and Keukeleire had little time or energy for games and as the world champion and former Paris-Roubaix winner held their own private stand-off, the two Belgians rode away, ultimately to contest the victory between themselves.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 5:39:05 |
2 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-Scott | |
3 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:00:06 |
4 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step Floors | |
5 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo | |
6 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
7 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
8 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb | |
9 | Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors | |
10 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) Team UAE Emirates | |
11 | Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
12 | Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
13 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | |
14 | Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
15 | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
16 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb | |
17 | Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
18 | Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
19 | Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
20 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
21 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky | |
22 | Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
23 | Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
24 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar Team | |
25 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Team UAE Emirates | |
26 | Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-Scott | |
27 | Loïc Vliegen (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
28 | Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team | |
29 | Scott Thwaites (GBr) Dimension Data | |
30 | Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
31 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
32 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac | |
33 | Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
34 | Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale | |
35 | Bram Tankink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
36 | Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
37 | Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | |
38 | Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
39 | Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
40 | Andrey Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team | |
41 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
42 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
43 | Mitch Docker (Aus) Orica-Scott | 0:00:13 |
44 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data | |
45 | Koen De Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | |
46 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
47 | Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-Scott | |
48 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
49 | Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
50 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
51 | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step Floors | |
52 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors | |
53 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
54 | Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | 0:00:30 |
55 | Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Cannondale-Drapac | 0:01:20 |
56 | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal | 0:01:32 |
57 | Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 0:07:26 |
58 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
59 | Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
60 | Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
61 | Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team | |
62 | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Lotto Soudal | |
63 | Huub Duyn (Ned) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
64 | Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
65 | Francisco Ventoso (Spa) BMC Racing Team | |
66 | Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data | |
67 | Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team | |
68 | Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin | |
69 | Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | |
70 | Mark McNally (GBr) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
71 | Simone Consonni (Ita) Team UAE Emirates | |
72 | Ryan Mullen (Irl) Cannondale-Drapac | |
73 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin | |
74 | Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
75 | Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
76 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data | |
77 | Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Israel Cycling Academy | |
78 | Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ | |
79 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
80 | Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
81 | Amund Grondahl Jansen (Nor) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
82 | Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
83 | Borut Bozic (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
84 | Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
85 | Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | |
86 | Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
87 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
88 | Raymond Kreder (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
89 | Berden De Vries (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
90 | Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
91 | Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale | |
92 | Héctor Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team | |
93 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
94 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
95 | Lars Boom (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
96 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data | |
97 | Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac | |
98 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica-Scott | |
99 | Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac | |
100 | Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
101 | Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-Scott | |
102 | Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
103 | Michael Morkov (Den) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:13:47 |
104 | Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida | |
105 | Federico Zurlo (Ita) Team UAE Emirates | |
106 | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ | |
107 | Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ | |
108 | Loic Chetout (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
109 | Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Team Sky | |
110 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | |
111 | Christophe Masson (Fra) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
112 | Gregory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo | |
113 | Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin | |
114 | Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:13:51 |
115 | Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky | 0:13:52 |
DNF | Stef Van Zummeren (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Rudy Barbier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Michael Goolaerts (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Matti Breschel (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Benjamin Perry (Can) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Christophe Prémont (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha-Alpecin | |
DNF | Michal Kolár (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Andre Looij (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Daniel Turek (Cze) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Roy Jans (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
DNF | Mihkel Räim (Est) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Jimmy Duquennoy (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
DNF | Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Ludwig De Winter (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
DNF | Julien Stassen (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
DNF | Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Lawrence Naesen (Bel) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
DNF | Alex Kirsch (Lux) WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect | |
DNF | Stijn Steels (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
DNF | Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Roger Kluge (Ger) Orica-Scott | |
DNF | Jens Wallays (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
DNF | Nuno Matos (Por) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Jorge Arcas Peña (Spa) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Team Sky | |
DNF | Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-Scott | |
DNF | Nick Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data | |
DNF | Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky | |
DNF | Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky | |
DNF | Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
DNF | Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Team LottNl-Jumbo | |
DNF | Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data | |
DNF | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data | |
DNF | Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | |
DNF | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky | |
DNF | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale-Drapac | |
DNF | Robin Stenuit (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin | |
DNF | Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Bahrain-Merida | |
DNF | Maxime Farazijn (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
DNF | Ion Insausti (Spa) Bahrain-Merida | |
DNF | David Per (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
DNF | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Oliviero Troia (Ita) Team UAE Emirates | |
DNF | Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Tom Scully (NZl) Cannondale-Drapac | |
DNF | Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Team UAE Emirates | |
DNF | Filippo Ganna (Ita) Team UAE Emirates | |
DNF | Wouter Wippert (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac | |
DNF | Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
DNF | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) FDJ | |
DNF | Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ | |
DNF | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Marc Sarreau (Fra) FDJ | |
DNF | Marko Kump (Slo) Team UAE Emirates |

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