Van Avermaet wins Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite
Belgian beats world champion Sagan in breakaway sprint
Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) claimed his first win of the season at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with a consummate performance that was capped by a sprint finish that saw off world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal).
The trio had been part of an elite group that had initially formed Taaienberg along with Luke Rowe (Team Sky). Despite a late charge from the peloton the break stayed clear.
In the sprint, Van Avermaet hit out first with Sagan and Benoot fighting for his wheel. The BMC Racing rider created a small gap and it was enough to seal victory with Sagan unable to respond in the closing metres.
Rowe held on for fourth place while fifth went to Alexis Gougeard (AG2R La Mondiale), who had been in the first break of the day. Jens Debusschere (Lotto Soudal ) led the peloton home just nine seconds later. There was disappointment for Etixx-QuickStep who saw Tony Martin crash and no riders finish inside the top ten.
However the day belonged to Van Avermaet, who laid down the perfect marker ahead of the spring Monuments. The Belgian finished second in this race two years ago and has perennially finished on the podium in several major spring races without claiming a win.
“I’m never really winning that much and it’s the first race in Belgium so far, so I’m pretty happy with this victory. If I could choose one, I would have picked, definitely, this one,” he said.
How it unfolded
At the start in Gent the sun and large crowds were welcoming of the 199 riders. Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep), world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and home rider Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal) were clearly the favourites.
Twelve riders were well aware that their only chance to shine in the first race on the Belgian race calendar was to get in the breakaway, with Alexis Gougeard (AG2R), Kristian House (One Pro Cycling), Julien Morice (Direct Energie), Kevin Van Melsen (Wanty – Groupe Gobert), Maxime Farazijn (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Brian van Goethem (Roompot-Oranje Peloton), Zakkari Dempster (Bora-Argon 18), Benoit Jarrier (Fortuneo-Vital Concept), Hugo Hofstetter (Cofidis, Solutions Crédits ), Brecht Dhaene, Stef Van Zummeren and Kai Reus (Veranda’s Willems) going clear.
The leaders collected a maximal lead of 5:30 over the peloton that was led by Etixx-QuickStep and Katusha.
Tiesj Benoot stated before the race that he needed to be ‘attentive once they reached the Kruisberg’. The racing certainly was more nervous. When approaching the Kruisberg there was a crash in the peloton that took down Tosh Van Der Sande (Lotto-Soudal), Magnus Cort Nielsen (Orica-GreenEdge) and Dennis van Winden (LottoNL-Jumbo). The latter was hospitalized.
Watch the video race highlighs
The winning move
The lead group was less than two minutes ahead and starting to lose numbers as the rest of the climbs came into view. Benoot was certainly attentive because one climb later he was there when Luke Rowe (Team Sky) set a blistering pace on the Taaienberg with only Benoot, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) swiftly marking his move.
World champion Peter Sagan impressed a little later as he bridged up alone, with Daniel Oss (BMC) blowing up his engine when trying to keep up.
In front, Dhaene, Gougeard, Reus and Morice were the remaining leaders after the Taaienberg. At 20 seconds from the leaders Van Avermaet set a fierce pace on the Eikenberg, putting Rowe briefly in trouble. On the cobbles of the Karel Martelstraat the four strong men bridged up with dropped riders Dhaene and Morice.
Etixx crash and crack
Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) was riding in third position in the peloton when he slipped away when coming off the cobbles. He was able to continue his race although the chase lost valuable seconds as they were forced to reform.
Just before the cobbles of the Haaghoek the remaining two leaders were brought back, creating a new lead group of eight riders. They were Benoot, Van Avermaet, Rowe, Sagan and the survivors of the long breakaway move Reus, Gougeard, Morice and Dhaene.
Nearly a minute further back there was a crash at the back of the peloton that took out BMC riders Philippe Gilbert, Floris Gerts and Manuel Quinziato.
After the asphalted Boembeke, the final climb of the day at 32 kilometres from the finish the eight leaders were still nearly a minute ahead of the peloton led by Etixx-QuickStep’s Nikolas Maes, Lukasz Wisniowski and Stijn Vandenbergh. When they sat up Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo) and Tosh Van Der Sande rode away from the peloton.
The final run in
The remaining obstacles on the roads to Gent were the long pavé sections of the Paddestraat, Lippenhovestraat and the Lange Munte. In front, Reus flatted and lost contact with the leaders. Behind, 23-year-old Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) rode away from the peloton on the Lippenhovestraat, blasting by Theuns and Van Der Sande. Stuyven quickly passed Reus, too, but the leaders were still 40 seconds ahead.
When heading to the Lange Munte, Stuyven was battling the headwind in no man’s land, riding at 35 seconds from the seven leaders and 15 seconds ahead of the small Etixx-QuickStep-led peloton. Stuyven’s efforts were ruined when he slipped on one of the multiple corners ahead of the Lange Munte. The riders leading the way in the peloton were Wisniowski, Martin, Vandenbergh, Nikki Terpstra and Tom Boonen.
Sagan upped the pace on the cobbles of the Lange Munte, quickly dropping Reus, Dhaene and Morice. A little later 22-year-old Gougeard was dropped too but he returned when Sagan came off the front. Coming off the cobbles the gap for the five leaders on the peloton was still more than 50 seconds. From there, there were no more small twisting farm roads but 17 wide national roads to the finish town Gent.
The peloton had one last roll of the dice, with several teams complimenting Etixx’s work on the front. With 10 kilometres remaining the gap to the leaders began to drop and with 5 kilometres remaining the peloton could sense blood. However, one long turn Sagan, followed by an important turn from Gougeard ensured that the break would stay away.
Van Avermaet started the sprint in fourth wheel but took an aggressive line into the final corners. It meant he was on the front coming around the last bend, with Sagan and Benoot desperately trying to respond. However, they couldn’t catch the BMC rider and the Belgian hung on for a deserved milestone victory.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 4:54:12 |
2 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 | Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:05 |
6 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:09 |
7 | Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Oliver Naesen (Bel) IAM Cycling | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Scott Thwaites (GBr) Bora-Argon 18 | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Florian Senechal (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:13 |
26 | Brecht Dhaene (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Florian Vachon (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) IAM Cycling | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:00:15 |
31 | Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Stig Broeckx (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:17 |
33 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
35 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) IAM Cycling | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Julien Morice (Fra) Direct Energie | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie | 0:00:24 |
38 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:00:39 |
39 | Mads Pedersen (Den) Stölting Service Group | 0:04:41 |
40 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Tim Declercq (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Stölting Service Group | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | Aleksei Tcatevich (Rus) Team Katusha | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Stef Van Zummeren (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Sander Cordeel (Bel) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Alex Kirsch (Lux) Stölting Service Group | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Jay Mccarthy (Aus) Tinkoff Team | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Manuel Belletti (Ita) Southeast - Venezuela | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Southeast - Venezuela | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Amaury Capiot (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff Team | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
62 | Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Trek-Segafredo | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Jesse Sergent (NZl) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Grégory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Jérôme Baugnies (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
67 | Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff Team | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
69 | Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Bram Tankink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Kai Reus (Ned) Veranda's Willems Cycling Team | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
72 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
73 | Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
74 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
75 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
76 | Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
77 | Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
78 | Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
79 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
80 | Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
81 | Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fra) Fortuneo - Vital Concept | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
82 | Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
83 | Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
84 | Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
85 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
86 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
87 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
88 | Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Roompot - Oranje Peloton | 0:05:13 |
89 | Bartlomiej Matysiak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | 0:09:21 |
90 | Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
91 |