Jelle Wallays finally took his first win for Lotto Soudal when he completed a fantastic solo ride in the GP Cerami in successful manner. After a hard and selective race, he attacked in the first part of the final lap of the 13.8km finishing circuit and managed to hold Jerome Baugnies (Wanty) off by 7 seconds. Christopher Latham (Wiggins) beat Wout van Aert (Crelan) in the sprint for third.

 

We have gathered a few reactions.

 

Jelle Wallays: I have proved that I am still the same rider

Today Jelle Wallays won the Belgian race Grand Prix Cerami, his first victory for Lotto Soudal. At the beginning of the final lap Jelle Wallays made a solo attack. He hung on until the end and so he won for the first time in Lotto Soudal outfit.

 

Jelle Wallays said:

 

“I attacked at the beginning of the last lap. There was no cooperation in the large group that was ahead. There were several attacks. After crossing the finish line Gert Dockx was pulling uphill. When the pace had dropped I attacked on the top. Jérôme Baugnies was my nearest chaser and also a rider from Team Wiggins had jumped away from the group.

 

”When I got into the last corner, with one and a half kilometres to go, I had ten seconds advantage. I knew I was capable of finishing it off, but I had spent lots of energy. The uphill finish didn’t make it easy either. Of course I knew the chasers would be getting tired as well.

 

”I relied on my experience with solo escapes. I was also thinking about Stig and last year’s edition when I did get caught in the final kilometre. This year I remained ahead!

 

"We were thirty at the front of the race. I knew I had to attack. I went shortly after the feeding zone. I thought it would be hard to stay away with riders like Wout Van Aert behind. I heard that I had ten seconds in the last kilometer so I knew I had a chance to win.
 

“This is a very beautiful victory. I am not a sprinter, so I need to do it this way. These are rare opportunities. This win feels so good after the crashes and injuries in the first half of the season.

 

”I just got back from a training camp in the Vosges and this is a nice way to start the competition again. The Tour de Wallonie will be my next race. I’d like to show something there as well.

 

“This is obviously the best result of my season. I had a heavy crash at the Algarve Tour. I struggled to find a good level. I win for the second time in my career on July 20 after the GP José Dubois two years ago. Maybe I should do a race every year on that date and maybe I should go on training more often because I also won last time I returned from a training block. I'm in shape before the Tour de Wallonie. I hope that the race will be difficult because it always suits me well.

 

"I had revenge feelings. I knew it would be too difficult if I waited. I attacked about 15 kilometers from the finish, knowing that I had the form to stay away

 

"Few people know that I had a lot of problems at the beginning of the season. Before Nationals I became better and better. Afterwards I took a few days of rest and I went on a training camp. In the GP Cerami I showed my good form. This win felt great after all the criticism I've had. But I've also been working hard for the team. Here I prove that I'm still the same rider I was before.

 

"I am in the pre-selection for the Vuelt. Possibly I will also ride the team time trial at the Worlds. Meanwhile, I'm on the start list for Wallonie, the Ride London Classic, the Tour de l’Ain and hopefully the Vuelta.”
 

Disappointed Jerome Baugnies: I could have won this race

Wanty-Groupe Gobert lined up this Wednesday in the GP Cerami (1.1) between Saint-Ghislain and Frameries (199,8 km) with Jérôme Baugnies, Dimitri Claeys, Enrico Gasparotto, Roy Jans, Tom Devriendt, Kevin Van Melsen, Kenny Dehaes and Gaëtan Bille. Jérôme Baugnies crossed the line at the second place and got a nice result for the team of Wanty-Groupe Gobert.

 

“I’m disappointed with my second place because I really could win this race”, Jérôme Baugnies regrets.

 

After 44 kilometres a leading group of five riders including Tom Devriendt got clear. Afterwards three riders made the jump and we got eight riders at the front. They got a top advantage of 5’25” on the peloton.

 

“It was an ideal situation for us to have Tom Devriendt in the breakaway”, Jérôme Baugnies admitted.

 

At the second crossing of the finishline it was all back together. In the second lap we got thirty riders in the lead including Jérôme Baugnies. ‘

 

’I would like to thank Tom Devriendt. I got a puncture and fortunately I could rely on him and he gave me his wheel. Otherwise I would have lost the race.”

 

On the last lap Jelle Wallays (Lotto-Soudal) set a decisive attack. Jérôme Baugnies and Christophe Latham (Team Wiggins) tried to catch but it was too late.

 

“I really thought that a rider would have closed the gap. Nobody had the power left. I decided to catch Jelle Wallays. I was with a rider from Team Wiggins. We approached but last kilometres were downhill. It was hard to get closer”, he explained.

 

“At the flamme rouge, I still had a chance. I did not fail but Jelle Wallays is a formidable rider once he manages to get a gap. He knows how to finish it off.

Despite the disappointment Jérôme Baugnies can be satisfied with his performance.

 

"I feel better the last weeks. I was minimum second in my last three races. This is hopeful for the Tour de Wallonie but also for the races in August”, he concluded.

 

Dimitri Claeys was the second rider of Wanty-Groupe Gobert in de first ten of the day with a tenth place. Next race for the Wanty-Groupe Gobert boys tomorrow in the GP José Dubois in Isières.

 

WIGGINS rider impresses in pro race

"It's my best result on the road,” Christopher Latham told Directvelo after his third place. I haven’t been much time on the road because I am more of a track rider. The team rode well all day. On the last lap I was completely a bloc. It was impossible to catch Jelle Wallays. I attacked  with Jérôme Baugnies but it was too late. In the last kilometer, the Wanty Groupe Gobert rider dropped me. I then hung on to keep my place on the podium. I am very happy with my race.”

Roompot Oranje Peloton in the top 5 at GP Cerami

Tim Kerkhof gave Roompot – Oranje Peloton a fifth place.

 

In the first part of the race, the selection of Erik Breukink seemed to miss the battle. After the passages of La Houpe and the Muur van Geraardsbergen, the team had missed out but in the end Tim Kerkhof sprinted to fifth place. 

 

"It is too bad that we could no longer catch the first three,” he said. "And of course I also wanted to beat Wout van Aert, who finished fourth. But I am happy with this good result. Partly because of the hot weather it was still a tough race.”

 

New Danish champion shows his jersey at GP Cerami

Team Stölting Service Group was active in lots of groups at the 50th GP Cerami (1.1), especially Alexander Kamp showed his new Danish champion’s outfit at the front for a long time. Sven Reutter and Mads Pedersen rode well in the final, the Dane eventually finishing 27th.

 

It was hot and windy in the Wallonie, and the race became a fast one. There were many breakaway attempts in the beginning, only after some 45 km did a group of five including Alexander Kamp get away. Three more riders bridged to the front, and these eight then built an advantage of up to 5:25 minutes.

 

Every time the peloton turned into a crosswind, there was echelon action, at one point splitting the field into two groups; this also meant that the gap to the break went down fast. Most of the breakaway was caught just before they reached the 13.8 km finishing circuit, the last two escapees being reeled in on the first finishing lap.

 

The final saw attack after attack. Sven Reutter was part of a group of fourteen that formed on the first of three laps; the group later swelled to around 30 riders due to more attacks. On the final lap, another eleven riders including Mads Pedersen made it to the front. However, Jelle Wallays (Lotto Soudal) had attacked with 10 km to go and could celebrate a solo victory; in the uphill sprint Mads Pedersen took 27th place in a headwind. Sven Reutter finished as 38th.

 

Sports Director Gregor Willwohl said:

 

“It was a very lively race, there was action all the time. Even when the break with Alexander Kamp was off the front, the peloton rode echelons time and again. Alexander presented his new jersey well and was one of the strongest riders in the break; but the peloton was going very fast in the echelons, reducing the gap quickly. Otherwise Kamp might have done something in the final. In the end we had Sven and Mads up there, but the other teams and riders were simply stronger today.”