Peter Sagan wins Gent-Wevelgem
By Cycling News
World champion beats Viviani and Demare with perfect sprint finish
Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) claimed his third Gent-Wevelgem title in impressive fashion with a comprehensive sprint win over Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) and Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ).
The World Champion rode a composed race and waited patiently for the final sprint as Quick-Step Floors set about controlling the race after the final ascent of the Kemmelberg. With strength in numbers Viviani came into the sprint as the favourite but the Italian was left boxed in after choosing to follow Matteo Trentin’s (Mitchelton-Scott) wheel. Sagan, meanwhile use his experience to drift onto Jasper Stuyven’s (Trek-Segaredo) left shoulder.
When the sprint opened up with just under 200m to go, Sagan had a clear road ahead of him, and the Bora rider drew his line to the left as Viviani was forced to come through the crowd and then around Démare. The Frenchman had a better line than Viviani but was left exposed when Sagan turned on the afterburners. Viviani found the strength to take second but the ground he conceded at the start of the sprint was too much to make up.
Two days ago, Sagan's form was questioned after he failed to impress in E3 Harelbeke. He may not even be at his very best but he was more than good enough to take the win in Wevelgem. With a week to go until Tour of Flanders, his rivals have been warned.
As for Viviani, the Italian slumped to the floor after crossing the line, a soigneur draping a jacket over his shoulders as the rider failed to fight back the tears of defeat. Until the final 500m, the De Panne winner had put in the perfect performance, making every key split, including the decisive one over the Kemmelberg.
Teammates Philippe Gilbert, Zdenek Stybar and Yves Lampaert all sacrificed their chances for him in the finale, with Gilbert the most impressive of the lot, with a huge turn on the front inside the final 5km. Their work was undone when was Viviani caught in the wheels. A split second of hesitation, saw him go around to the right and back onto Démare’s wheel but by the damage was done.
The role of Stuyven was pivotal. The Trek rider seemed to not only – through no fault of his own – lead out Sagan but also box in Viviani. This left the Quick-Step rider with no choice but to take the more difficult route through the sprint.
How it unfolded
The 174 starters rolled out of Deinze with the sun on their backs and relatively warm conditions for this time of the year. It took a while before a breakaway received space from the peloton but after half an hour of racing Brian van Goethem (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij) and José Gonçalves (Katusha-Alpecin) took off. They were joined by Frederik Frison (Lotto-Soudal), and later also Filippo Ganna (UAE Team Emirates), Jimmy Duquennoy (WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic) and Jan-Willem van Schip (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij).
At first, the peloton didn't relent, with the first hour of racing completed at 48 km/h. From there the lead for the six breakaway riders increased and topped nine minutes after 70 kilometres.
Without crosswind the passage through the flatlands of De Moeren didn’t result in a echelon fest but the gap between the leaders and the peloton slowly dropped to five minutes as they approached the first set of climbs. The fight for position started as the peloton swapped roads and main roads, which caused crashes and splits.
The decisive Kemmelberg
The six leaders still had an advantage of five minutes when they tackled the Kemmelberg for the first time. Quick-Step Floors led the peloton over the steep cobbled climb, and Philippe Gilbert accelerated to give a clear indication of both his form, and his team's desire to make the race.
Sixty kilometres from the finish, the first of three Plugstreets featured and BMC Racing charged to the front. The gap between the leaders and the peloton dropped down to three minutes on the first set of dirt roads. On the second plugstreet, the peloton started to stretch out under the pressure from Van Avermaet's men, and a lined-out peloton reached the final plugstreet 'The Catacombs' with almost half the field fighting to remain in contention.
Jelle Wallays launched the attack he had talked up in Lotto-Soudal pre-race press release, and with 200km raced the Belgian was joined by a small number of riders with Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott) and Zdenek Stybar (Quick-Step Floors) in the breakaway.
A few moments later that group was caught and suddenly Stybar, Tony Gallopin (AG2R La Mondiale), Sacha Modolo (EF Education First-Drapac) and Stefan Küng (BMC) found themselves on the deck after a fall. Wallays didn't give up and featured in a new attempt to sneak away, combining forces with Julien Vermote (Dimension Data), Vyacheslav Kuznetsov (Katusha-Alpecin) and Alex Kirsch (WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic). These four riders bridged up to the six leaders shortly after tackling the Baneberg climb, and just before the final ascent of the Kemmelberg.
With the race wide open Philippe Gilbert anticipated the Kemmelberg and gapped the peloton on the lower slopes. Sep Vanmarcke led the peloton over the cobbles with Trentin, Stybar marking his wheel. Gilbert seemed to have gear problems and his lead was vastly reduced by the time he crested the top with Vanmarcke the rest just a few bike lengths back.
Once over the tough climb, Roompot riders Brian van Goethem and Jan-Willem van Schip survived the Kemmelberg and joined up with Julien Vermote, Alex Kirsch, Jelle Wallays and Kuznetsov. Behind them, the big names combined forces, trying to make the race as hard as possible for John Degenkolb and Alexander Kristoff, who had both been left on the Kemmel.
On the main road towards Ypres, the Sagan and Gilbert group of 23 riders steamed through and brought back the group containing Vermote and Wallays. With almost 30 riders at the front of the race, and most of the sprint teams represented, there was little hope Kristoff and the rest making a return.
Roompot and Quick-Step Floors controlled the lead group an ensured that the pace was just high enough to keep the lead group from attacking, with Mitchelton-Scott also willing to work. Gilbert and Stybar were immense and closed down any thought of an attack with a final roll of the dice from Roompot neutralized in the closing stages.
Vanmarcke put in a late dash for the line but the Belgian was closed down as the sprinters readied themselves for the final push.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | 5:53:37 |
2 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Quick-Step Floors | |
3 | Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ | |
4 | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
5 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
6 | Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
7 | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott | |
8 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors | |
9 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
10 | Wout Van Aert (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
11 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
12 | Jan Willem van Schip (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
13 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb | |
14 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
15 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Dimension Data | |
16 | Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | |
17 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
18 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
19 | Brian van Goethem (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
20 | Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | 0:00:05 |
21 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 0:00:08 |
22 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
23 | Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott | 0:00:12 |
24 | Magnus Cort (Den) Astana Pro Team | 0:01:01 |
25 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates | |
26 | Michael Valgren (Den) Astana Pro Team | 0:01:14 |
27 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | 0:01:22 |
28 | Tony Martin (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:02:49 |
29 | Justin Jules (Fra) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | 0:03:14 |
30 | Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
31 | Alex Kirsch (Lux) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
32 | Edward Theuns (Bel) Team Sunweb | 0:03:17 |
33 | Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team | |
34 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
35 | Dries Van Gestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
36 | Koen de Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | |
37 | Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
38 | Timo Roosen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
39 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step Floors | |
40 | Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
41 | Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
42 | Danny van Poppel (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
43 | Filippo Ganna (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | |
44 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
45 | Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky | |
46 | Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
47 | Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Floors | |
48 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo | |
49 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida | |
50 | Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
51 | Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | 0:05:34 |
52 | Rudy Barbier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
53 | Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension Data | |
54 | Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin | |
55 | Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
56 | Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
57 | Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
58 | Edward Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
59 | Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal | |
60 | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal | |
61 | Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
62 | Huub Duijn (Ned) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
63 | Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
64 | Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
65 | Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
66 | Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
67 | Stijn Devolder (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
68 | Jorge Arcas (Spa) Movistar Team | |
69 | Zico Waeytens (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
70 | Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky | |
71 | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ | |
72 | Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | |
73 | Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team | |
74 | Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team | |
75 | Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team | |
76 | Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team | |
77 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | |
78 | Francisco Ventoso (Spa) BMC Racing Team | |
79 | Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
80 | Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky | |
81 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data | |
82 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
83 | Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team | 0:05:39 |
84 | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
85 | Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ | |
86 | Jimmy Duquennoy (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
87 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) FDJ | |
88 | Simone Consonni (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | |
89 | Hector Carretero (Spa) Movistar Team | |
90 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky | |
91 | Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
92 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
93 | Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
94 | Jos van Emden (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
95 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
96 | Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
97 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | |
98 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
99 | Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Sky | |
100 | Jack Bauer (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott | |
101 | Alex Edmondson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | |
102 | Nico Denz (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:11:47 |
103 | Floris Gerts (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
104 | Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
105 | Luke Durbridge (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | |
106 | Benjamin King (USA) Dimension Data | |
107 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
108 | Antoine Duchesne (Can) FDJ | |
109 | Tanguy Turgis (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
110 | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) FDJ | |
111 | Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data | |
112 | Bert De Backer (Bel) Vital Concept Club | |
113 | Lukas Spengler (Swi) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
114 | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
115 | Mark McNally (GBr) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
116 | Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale | |
117 | Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
118 | Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | |
119 | Michaël Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
120 | Sjoerd van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
121 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
122 | Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida | |
123 | Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team Sky | |
124 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | |
125 | Julien Stassen (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
126 | Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | |
127 | Ben Swift (GBr) UAE Team Emirates | |
128 | Alex Dowsett (GBr) Katusha-Alpecin | |
129 | David Per (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
130 | Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | |
131 | Borut Bozic (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
132 | Michael Hepburn (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | |
133 | Nicolas Dougall (RSA) Dimension Data | |
134 | Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
135 | Michael Goolaerts (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
136 | Taylor Phinney (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
137 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
138 | Tim Declercq (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
139 | Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team | |
140 | Thomas Leezer (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
141 | Bryan Coquard (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
142 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
143 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
144 | Kenny Dehaes (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
145 | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
146 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
147 | Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vital Concept Club | |
148 | Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
149 | Julien Morice (Fra) Vital Concept Club | 0:11:56 |
DNF | Johan Le Bon (Fra) Vital Concept Club | |
DNF | Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo | |
DNF | Wouter Wippert (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Gregory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo | |
DNF | Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) UAE Team Emirates | |
DNF | Amaury Capiot (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
DNF | Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
DNF | Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
DNF | Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
DNF | Daniel McLay (GBr) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
DNF | Davide Cimolai (Ita) FDJ | |
DNF | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
DNF | Senne Leysen (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | José Gonçalves (Por) Katusha-Alpecin | |
DNF | Maxime Vantomme (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
DNF | Loic Chetout (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin | |
DNS | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert |
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