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Chicchi triumphs at Handzame Classic

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Italian sprinter takes fifth victory of season

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The Handzame Classic podium (l-r): Marcel Kittel (Project 1t4i), Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Adam Blythe (BMC)

The Handzame Classic podium (l-r): Marcel Kittel (Project 1t4i), Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Adam Blythe (BMC) (Image credit: AFP)
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Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) wins his fifth race of the season at the Handzame Classic)

Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) wins his fifth race of the season at the Handzame Classic) (Image credit: AFP)
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Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) celebrates his sprint victory at the Handzame Classic.

Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) celebrates his sprint victory at the Handzame Classic. (Image credit: AFP)

Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) took his second sprint victory of the week, winning the Handzame Classic in Belgium. The 31-year-old Italian won the mass sprint ahead of Marcel Kittel (Project 1t4i) and Adam Blythe (BMC Racing Team).

It was the 18th win this season for the Belgian ProTeam, and Chicchi's fifth. His most recent win was only two days earlier, at the Nokere Koerse.

"The magic state I'm in continues," said Chicchi. "I'm very happy with this victory. We rode strong all day long. Fortunately, Keisse was in the 15-man break that marked the race, and he allowed us to sit on tires and save energy. In the final we all had perfect legs. The team did a fantastic job and I managed to clinch the double just a few days off my victory in Nokere.

"I want to dedicate this success to all the families of the victims of the disaster at Sierre, a terrible tragedy which we will never forget. All my teammates join me in this dedication."

A 15-man group got away early on the race comprised of Walt De Winter, Francesco Van Coppernolle (Jong Vlaanderen), Iljo Keisse (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto-Belisol), Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil-DCM), Pieter Serry (Topsport Vlaanderen), Wim De Vocht (Accent Jobs-Verandas Willems), Mart Ojavee (Champion System), Tobias Ludvigsson (Project 1t4i), Victor Manakov (RusVelo), Rony Martias (Saur-Sojasun), Will Routley (Spidertech), Blaz Jarc (NetApp) and Niko Eeckhout (An Post-Sean Kelly).

Their lead never exceeded a minute and a half, and the group slowly fell apart as the sprinters' teams put the pressure on.

With 11km to go the last of the escapees were caught again, setting up the expected mass sprint finale.

Full Results
1Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep4:10:00
2Marcel Kittel (Ger) Project 1T4i
3Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team
4Guillaume Boivin (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
5Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
6Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
7Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post - Sean Kelly
8Boy Van Poppel (Ned) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
9Kenny De Haes (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
10Nikolay Trusov (Rus) RusVelo
11André Schulze (Ger) Team NetApp
12Jonas Ahlstrand (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se
13Yoeri Havik (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke
14Hugo Houle (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
15Roy Jans (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
16Steve Schets (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen Cycling Team
17Sven Jodts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
18Remco Te Brake (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke
19Egidijus Juodvalkis (Ltu) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
20Frederique Robert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
21Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Leopard - Trek Continental Team
22Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
23Jean-Lou Paiani (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
24Christophe Laborie (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
25Jarl Salomein (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
26Jacobe Keough (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
27Robert Förster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
28Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Team NetApp
29James Vanlandschoot (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's
30Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
31Andrew Fenn (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
32Henrik Abom (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se
33Kevin Verwaest (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen Cycling Team
34Philippe Legrand (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Credit Agricole
35Benjamin Verraes (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen Cycling Team
36Baptiste Plackaert (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
37Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
38Kurt Hovelynck (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
39Alexander Mironov (Rus) RusVelo
40Fabio Polazzi (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Credit Agricole
41Kevin Ista (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's
42Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's
43Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
44Sean Patrick Downey (Irl) An Post - Sean Kelly
45Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
46Rob Goris (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's
47Nikita Eskov (Rus) RusVelo
48Quentin Bertholet (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Credit Agricole
49Caleb Fairly (USA) Spidertech Powered By C10
50Jens Vandenbogaerde (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen Cycling Team
51Bert De Backer (Bel) Project 1T4i
52Rikke Dijkxhoorn (Ned) Geofco - Ville D'alger
53Olivier Chevalier (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Credit Agricole
54Sjef De Wilde (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's
55Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) RusVelo
56Philip Vandaele (Bel) Colba - Superano Ham
57Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
58Martin Gilbert (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
59Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
60Mark Christian (GBr) An Post - Sean Kelly
61Benjamin Day (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
62Sjoerd Kouwenhoven (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke
63Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team
64Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
65Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
66Kenneth Van Bilsen (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
67Markus Eichler (Ger) Team NetApp
68Jeroem Lepla (Bel) Jong Vlaanderen Cycling Team
69Dominic Klemme (Ger) Project 1T4i
70Arthur Van Overberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
71Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
72Tim Declercq (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
73Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep0:00:10
74Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
75Andy Cappelle (Bel) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's
76Sander Cordeel (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
77Pit Schlechter (Lux) Leopard - Trek Continental Team
78Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Project 1T4i
79Ryan Anderson (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
80Johan Landstrom (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se0:00:14
81Michael Olsson (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se0:00:16
82Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team0:00:22
83Timon Seubert (Ger) Team NetApp
84Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep0:00:24
85Marcello Pavarin (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
86Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quickstep0:00:38
87Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team NetApp0:00:49
88Simon Lambert-Lemay (Can) Spidertech Powered By C100:00:50
89Sven Vandousselaere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator0:01:09
90Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
91Mats Boeve (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke0:01:25
92Christian Bertilsson (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se
93Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team0:01:45
94Henryk Cardoen (Bel) Geofco - Ville D'alger0:03:28
95Matvey Zubov (Rus) RusVelo
96Jonathan Breyne (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
97Martijn Keizer (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
98Jacek Morajko (Pol) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
99Will Routley (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
100Kun Jiang (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
101Etienne Tortelier (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
102Rony Martias (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
103Sven Van Den Houte (Bel) Colba - Superano Ham
104Jurgen Francois (Bel) Colba - Superano Ham
105Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing Team
106Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team
107Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) Leopard - Trek Continental Team
108Joel Zangerle (Lux) Leopard - Trek Continental Team
109Bob Jungels (Lux) Leopard - Trek Continental Team
110Marco Bandiera (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
111Iljo Keisse (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
112Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Euphony
113Blaz Jarc (Slo) Team NetApp
114Laurent Evrard (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles - Credit Agricole
115Thomas Damuseau (Fra) Project 1T4i
116Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Team NetApp
117Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
118Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Project 1T4i
119Ronan Van Zandbeek (Ned) Project 1T4i
120Huub Duyn (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke
121Philip Lindau (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se
122Niko Eeckhout (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
123Dion Beukeboom (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke
124Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
125Pieter Serry (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
126Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Cyclingteam De Rijke
127Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
128Maarten Neyens (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
129William Clarke (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
130Bas Stamsnijder (Ned) Cyclingteam De Rijke
131Jetse Bol (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
132Barry Markus (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
133Kin San Wu (HKg) Champion System Pro Cycling Team0:05:11
134Robert Pölder (Swe) Team Cykelcity.se0:05:52
135Giorgio Brambilla (Ita) Leopard - Trek Continental Team0:06:34
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