Tour of Poland: Van Genechten claims first WorldTour win
Lotto Belisol sprinter charges late to pip Guarnieri, Mezgec
Jonas Van Genechten (Lotto-Belisol) claimed victory on stage 4 of the Tour of Poland with a well-timed sprint in Katowice, edging out Jacopo Guarnieri (Astana) and the fast-closing Luca Mezgec (Giant-Shimano) in a blanket finish.
The Belgian came from a long way back to overhaul Guarnieri and Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) in the closing 100 metres, but in the event, his positioning played to his advantage – as did his foresight in his gear selection.
"The last bit of the stage was about timing. I wasn't in the best position, in the first ten, but it was the best place to come from the back with the speed," Van Genechten explained. "Yesterday I asked the mechanic to change the big chainring and put on the 54: maybe that made the difference."
The win was Van Genechten’s first at WorldTour level and his first of any description since landing the GP Pino Cerami last year. "This is my biggest victory so far so I am absolutely delighted. Usually I am a bit like Greg Henderson: I work for our leaders André Greipel or Jens Debusschere in the sprints, or even for Kenny De Haes here at the Tour of Poland," Van Genechten said. "But Kenny said with two laps to go that he didn't feel very good so I could try my luck."
Van Genechten's joy contrasted with the frustration of Luca Mezgec. The Slovenian had appeared well-positioned as Lampre’s Roberto Ferrari kicked off the sprint with 300 metres to go, but he managed to get himself penned in by his own lead-out man Nikias Arndt, and could only open his effort in earnest inside the final 50 metres.
"In such a sprint you can't get blocked at all and it's pretty much what happened to me: I couldn't pedal from 200 to 50 metres to the finish line. When I found the opening again it was too late," Mezgec said.
Mezgec’s speed was enough to overhaul Modolo, but on the opposite side of the road, Van Genechten had jumped into a lead that he would not surrender.
Vakoc retains lead
In the general classification, Petr Vakoc (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) remains in the yellow jersey with a lead of 26 seconds over Matthias Krizek (Cannondale). Krizek moved up to second place thanks the bonus seconds he picked up by winning all three bonus seconds on the stage, having spent most of the stage off the front in the break of the day.
After an early move that saw Lotto’s Boris Vallee move into the provisional overall lead was reeled in, Krizek jumped off the front with Josh Edmondson (Sky) and Mateusz Taciak (CCC Polsat). The trio built up a maximum lead of four minutes, and still had two in hand as they entered the final 50 kilometres.
With 28 kilometres remaining, they received some important reinforcements when Jerome Cousin (Europcar) and Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz (Poland) forged across, although by that point, their lead had been slashed to just 35 seconds as Belkin took up the reins of pursuit in earnest on the finishing circuit.
Taciak’s failure to collaborate in the closing kilometres as he chased king of the mountains points appeared to be the source of some discord within the break, with Cousin and Kasperkiewicz ultimately opting to zip clear together. Their act of defiance was snuffed out with 9 kilometres to go, however, as was a later move that saw Angelo Tulik (Europcar) joined by Fabio Felline (Trek) and Tobias Ludvigsson (Giant-Shimano).
Thor Hushovd (BMC) offered the final and firmest act of resistance to the inevitable sprint when he launched a canny attack 1,500 metres from home, just as the course tackled a series of short ripples. His powerful effort saw him open a small gap over the bunch, but unfortunately for the Norwegian, there was not sufficient hesitation for his sake in the chasing pack and he was swept up with 600 metres to go.
Mezgec had Giant-Shimano’s strength of numbers in the finale, while Modolo had the forceful Ferrari to lead out the sprint, but in the end, it was Van Genechten who had the strength and the wit to grab the win.
Thursday sees the race cross over the border into Slovakia for the first hilly stage, and Vakoc was optimistic about his chances of retaining the overall lead. "I am confident I can hold the yellow jersey tomorrow after the first mountain stage," said Vakoc. "I already know the final hill because we already climbed it at the Tour of Slowakia. It suits me very well because it's short and steep [max. 16%, Ed.]. But Tinkoff-Saxo will definitely be strong as they want Rafal Majka to win the race."
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol | 5:43:29 |
2 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Astana Pro Team | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Giant-Shimano | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 | Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
6 | Davide Appollonio (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
7 | Raymond Kreder (Ned) Garmin Sharp | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Steele Von Hoff (Aus) Garmin Sharp | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica Greenedge | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Timofey Kritskiy (Rus) RusVelo | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Roman Maikin (Rus) RusVelo | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Cannondale | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Sebastian Lander (Den) BMC Racing Team | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Theo Bos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Ivan Balykin (Ita) RusVelo | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Grzegorz Stepniak (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Wout Poels (Ned) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek Factory Racing | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Guillaume Boivin (Can) Cannondale | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) RusVelo | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
29 | Kamil Zielinski (Pol) Poland | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Bartlomiej Matysiak (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
31 | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek Factory Racing | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
32 | Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
33 | Marek Rutkiewicz (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
34 | Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ.fr | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
35 | Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
38 | Petr Vakoc (Cze) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Kevin De Weert (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
41 | Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Merida | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Team Katusha | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Konrad Dabkowski (Pol) Poland | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Garmin Sharp | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica Greenedge | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Peter Velits (Svk) BMC Racing Team | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Christian Meier (Can) Orica Greenedge | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
56 | Boris Vallee (Bel) Lotto Belisol | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Matthias Krizek (Aut) Cannondale | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
58 | Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Fabio Silvestre (Por) Trek Factory Racing | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
62 | Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Nicki Sörensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
64 | Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Shimano | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
65 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Belisol | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
66 | Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica Greenedge | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
67 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
68 | Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
69 | Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
70 | Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Shimano | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
71 | Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
72 | Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Orica Greenedge | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
73 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Belisol | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
74 | Paul Martens (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
75 | Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col) Cannondale | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
76 | Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
77 | Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Shimano | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
78 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
79 | Vegard Breen (Nor) Lotto Belisol | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
80 | Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
81 | Bruno Pires (Por) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
82 | Andrey Solomennikov (Rus) RusVelo | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
83 | Artem Ovechkin (Rus) RusVelo | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
84 | Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
85 | Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
86 | Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
87 | Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
88 | Caleb Fairly (USA) Garmin Sharp | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
89 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
90 | Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Lampre-Merida | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
91 | Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
92 | Arman Kamyshev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
93 | Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
94 | Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
95 | Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Movistar Team | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
96 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
97 | Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Team Sky | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
98 | Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Merida | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
99 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin Sharp | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
100 | Dario Cataldo (Ita) Team Sky | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
101 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
102 | Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Polsat Polkowice | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
103 | Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
104 | Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica Greenedge | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
105 | Larry Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team | Row 104 - Cell 2 |
106 | Branislau Samoilau (Blr) CCC Polsat Polkowice | Row 105 - Cell 2 |
107 | Christophe Kern (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 106 - Cell 2 |
108 | Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
109 | Serguei Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
110 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | Row 109 - Cell 2 |
111 | Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida | Row 110 - Cell 2 |
112 | Davide Villella (Ita) Cannondale | Row 111 - Cell 2 |
113 | Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 112 - Cell 2 |
114 | Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
115 | Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team | Row 114 - Cell 2 |
116 | Maxime Mederel (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 115 - Cell 2 |
117 | Pawel Cieslik (Pol) Poland | Row 116 - Cell 2 |
118 | Rory Sutherland (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 117 - Cell 2 |
119 | Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky | Row 118 - Cell 2 |
120 | Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) RusVelo | Row 119 - Cell 2 |
121 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | Row 120 - Cell 2 |
122 | Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Team Europcar | Row 121 - Cell 2 |
123 | Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team | Row 122 - Cell 2 |
124 | Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale | Row 123 - Cell 2 |
125 | Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 124 - Cell 2 |
126 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin Sharp | Row 125 - Cell 2 |
127 | Sergey Chernetsky (Rus) Team Katusha | Row 126 - Cell 2 |
128 | Nathan Brown (USA) Garmin Sharp | Row 127 - Cell 2 |
129 | Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 128 - Cell 2 |
130 | Pawel Bernas (Pol) Poland | Row 129 - Cell 2 |
131 | Anton Vorobyev (Rus) Team Katusha | Row 130 - Cell 2 |
132 | Pawel Franczak (Pol) Poland | Row 131 - Cell 2 |
133 | Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo | Row 132 - Cell 2 |
134 | Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 133 - Cell 2 |
135 | Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Belisol | Row 134 - Cell 2 |
136 | Alexander Rybakov (Rus) Team Katusha | Row 135 - Cell 2 |
137 | Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Team Katusha | Row 136 - Cell 2 |
138 | Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | Row 137 - Cell 2 |
139 | Bartosz Warchol (Pol) Poland | Row 138 - Cell 2 |
140 | Kamil Gradek (Pol) Poland | Row 139 - Cell 2 |
141 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr | Row 140 - Cell 2 |
142 | Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | 0:00:27 |
143 | Maxim Belkov (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:00:39 |
144 | Sam Bewley (NZl) Orica Greenedge | 0:00:49 |
145 | David Tanner (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:52 |
146 | Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica Greenedge | 0:00:56 |
147 | Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:01:02 |
148 | Laurent Mangel (Fra) FDJ.fr | 0:01:03 |
149 | Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ.fr | Row 148 - Cell 2 |
150 | Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 0:01:11 |
151 | Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz (Pol) Poland | 0:01:13 |
152 | Markus Barry (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | Row 151 - Cell 2 |
153 | Rick Flens (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | Row 152 - Cell 2 |
154 | Kenny De Haes (Bel) Lotto Belisol | 0:01:28 |
155 | Julian David Arredondo Moreno (Col) Trek Factory Racing | 0:01:30 |
156 | Angelo Tulik (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:02:25 |
157 | Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky | 0:02:43 |
158 | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:02:55 |
159 | Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Garmin Sharp | 0:04:18 |
160 | Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar | Row 159 - Cell 2 |
161 | Mateusz Taciak (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | 0:04:39 |
162 | Joshua Edmondson (GBr) Team Sky | 0:05:09 |
163 | Jack Bobridge (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:07:10 |
164 | Thierry Hupond (Fra) Team Giant-Shimano | Row 163 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol | 20 | pts |
2 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 19 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Giant-Shimano | 18 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 17 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale | 16 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Davide Appollonio (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 15 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Raymond Kreder (Ned) Garmin Sharp | 14 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | 13 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 12 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Steele Von Hoff (Aus) Garmin Sharp | 11 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica Greenedge | 10 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Timofey Kritskiy (Rus) RusVelo | 9 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Roman Maikin (Rus) RusVelo | 8 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Cannondale | 7 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Sebastian Lander (Den) BMC Racing Team | 6 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team | 5 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Theo Bos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 4 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Ivan Balykin (Ita) RusVelo | 3 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | Grzegorz Stepniak (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | 2 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky | 1 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team |
---|---|
1 | Matthias Krizek (Aut) Cannondale |
2 | Mateusz Taciak (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice |
3 | Joshua Edmondson (GBr) Team Sky |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team |
---|---|
1 | Matthias Krizek (Aut) Cannondale |
2 | Mateusz Taciak (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice |
3 | Joshua Edmondson (GBr) Team Sky |