One day after his defeat at the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen, Fernando Gaviria (Etixx-QuickStep) got his revenge as he beat his nemesis Timothy Dupont (Veranda’s Willems) in the bunch sprint at the Prius Classic Impanis-Van Petegem. After an excellent lead-out from Etixx-QuickStep, he barely had to sprint to take the win and easily held Dupont off. Lead-out man Maximilano Richeze even held on to make it two riders from the team on the podium.

 

We have gathered a few reactions.

 

Gaviria: This win gives me confidence for the Worlds

At just 22 years of age, Fernando Gaviria has all that it takes to become a huge rider: talent, panache, striking versatility, huge ambition and a strong and dominant team by his side, capable of protecting him and making the difference when it matters. All these were there for everyone to see in such events such as the Tour de San Luis, Tirreno-Adriatico or the Tour de Pologne, and most recently in the Grand Prix Impanis-Van Petegem (Brakel – Boortmeerbeek, 200 kilometers), one of the last Belgian races of the year, held on a course which put on the table a succession of hills and cobbled segments.

 

Benjamin Giraud (Delko Marseille), Tom Dernies (Wallonie-Bruxelles), Julien Mortier (Color Code), Timothy Stevens (Crelan-Vastgoedservice), Preben Van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen) and Kevin Van Melsen (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) were the six man to book a place on Saturday in the break which needed more than 40 kilometers to establish. As their lead didn't go north of four minutes, the escapees were brought back with 50 kilometers left, under the impetus of Etixx – Quick-Step and BMC.

 

It was no surprise that the race continued at an aggressive pace, and soon, another group formed, Fernando Gaviria, Magnus Cort (Orica-BikeExchange) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) being some of the big names who pulled to build a maximum gap of 30 seconds. That group, although a strong one, was reabsorbed by the peloton 9 kilometers away from the line and despite several riders attempting to get clear and outfox the bunch, everything sticked together until the finish.

 

Etixx – Quick-Step moved to the front with two kilometers to go and delivered a solid and impressive lead-out to Fernando Gaviria, who finished off the work of his teammates in spectacular fashion, getting the better of his opponents to become the first Colombian winner of the Grand Prix Impanis-Van Petegem. Timothy Dupont (Verandas Willems) was second, while Max Richeze, the last man in Fernando's train, rounded out the podium of the 19th edition.

 

"It was a complicated and nervous race today. When Van Avermaet attacked, I jumped immediately, because I sensed that the move could have a chance to go all the way. Then, when they caught us, we switched our focus to the bunch sprint.

 

“Julien [Vermote], Guillaume [Van Keirsbulck], Fabio [Sabatini] and Max all brought me in an excellent position from which I couldn't miss. After coming second yesterday in Koolskamp, where my legs weren't so good, I wanted to repay them for their hard work and I'm happy to have managed that", said the 22-year-old, who netted Etixx – Quick-Step's 51st victory of the season.

 

Fernando Gaviria is the most successful neo-pro of 2016 in terms of victories, with six wins in the bag, and the one he got on Saturday afternoon has a special meaning for him:

 

"I can't describe how delighted I am for taking my first ever victory in Belgium, a country I love and which breathes cycling, a country with incredible fans and spectacular races. I like this kind of parcours, with short climbs and cobbles, as it really suits me. I am extremely happy for winning today. Now I will continue to work hard for the final races of the season and give it my all for Etixx – Quick-Step.

 

"The team has dropped me off perfectly for this sprint. I could finish it off.  We rode attentively all day as a team. I went in the break with Greg Van Avermaet. I actually thought the job was done and that we would sprint with ten riders even though we never got much advantage. The peloton chased us down and we were caught. Of course this effort cost me a lot of strength, but apparently I had enough to win here. With this victory I get even more confidence for the World Championship in Qatar. However, it’s a long way off and I think in the first instance on the races with Etixx-Quick Step. "

 

Dupont: Today Gaviria was stronger than me

Timothy Dupont got a brilliant podium place with his second place. On Friday, he had beaten Gaviria in Koolskamp

 

"Today he was the strongest," Dupont said after the finish in Haacht. "In the final I was alone after Sander Cordeel had brought me to the final three kilometers. Since I already had to do two or three sprints in the wind, I did not have enough to come around Gaviria when he started his sprint 150 meters from the finish. Still, I'm satisfied. It was a nice weekend.

 

"The first hour was hard for me. I was not yet fully recovered from yesterday. Even when the leading group had a small gap, the race was not really calm.

 

"Today Gaviria was slightly stronger than me. Moreover, he could count on a perfect train, just as I could yesterday. I chose the wheel of Gaviria to stat my sprint. I had to fight to maintain that position and therefore I lost a lot of energy. We had to fight earlier in the race with the entire team to close the gap to the ten leaders. That cost us forces. But that does not mean much because Fernando Gaviria was clearly the strongest.

 

"Gaviria had previously already been in the leading group, he is a strong rider. I had to fight on the wheel of Gaviria, which cost a lot of energy. I am happy with my performance, the best rider won.”

 

Stef Van Zummeren was initially part of the leading group but crashed.

 

"In the beginning I had a lot of pain in the hip due to the shock of the fall, but now it's just stiff.”

 

Verandas Willems had to continue with only six riders.

 

In the final, a group with Greg Van Avermaet got clear. Brecht Dhaene and Sander Cordeel helped Orica-Bike Exchange and LottoNL-jumbo in closing it down. The second place was Dupont's 28th podium finish in a UCI race this season.

 

With the results Dupont and Verandas Willems now hopes for Worlds selections. Verandas Willems will already do the team time trial in Qatar (without Dupont). The special training starts already next Monday. But the World Championships for elite riders will be held on October 16 and it is expected that it will be a race for sprinters.

 

"Of course I would like to get selected by Belgium for the Worlds," Dupont said. "But the decision is up to coach Kevin De Weert. I can take on different roles. Of course I can do the sprint but also make the race hard in the wind or do the lead-out. For now I hope to keep this form.”

 

"I'm always asked about the Worlds. I will obviously be very happy to be part of the selection but the choice lies with coach Kevin De Weert. I will work for the team and I've already proven that I am not slow at the finish. "

 

Van Asbroeck: The fight for Gaviria’s wheel cost me the podium

Tom Van Asbroeck finished fourth in the Primus Classic Impanis - Van Petegem this afternoon in Belgium. Fernando Gaviria (Etixx - Quickstep) won in a bunch sprint ahead of Timothy Dupont (Verandas Willems) and team-mate Ariel Richeze.

 

The race, held in good weather, had varied race tactics. A leading group of six riders marked the first hours, but in the final, an attack by Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet blew the race apart and nine riders broke free. 

 

"Hofland was in that leading group but a lost contact on a descent and couldn’t close the gap anymore," said Sport Director Frans Maassen. "He was bummed because all the elite men were present in that group. When we suddenly had no rider in the leading group, we put all our cards on Tom Van Asbroeck. We closed the gap and Tom sprinted to fourth place. I am satisfied, it was the best we could do given the situation."

 

Colombian Gaviria shot free in the right moment of the sprint while Van Asbroeck sat on his wheel and finished fourth.

 

"I had to fight a lot to hold my position on his wheel," said Van Asbroeck. "The fight with Cort Nielsen cost a lot of energy. Dupont slipped in between. I can’t complain but on the other hand, I am only partly satisfied, because I missed the podium. This result does give me confidence towards the end of the season and the races yet to come."

 

In the last kilometre, Mike Teunissen crashed. Fortunately, the damage is limited to some road rash.

 

Orica-BikeExchange after fifth place: Cort is starting a new chapter after the Vuelta

Dual Vuelta a Espana stage winner Magnus Cort sprinted to a respectable fifth place at the Primus Classic Impanis-Van Petegem in Belgium today after a fast finale.

 

ORICA-BikeExchange rode an intelligent and controlled race, keeping Cort safely protected for much of the 200kilometres before the fast run into the finish saw the Dane show his confidence by bridging solo over to the late attack.

 

The race was won by Fernando Gaviria (Etixx-Quickstep) from a strong lead out with Cort doing well to stay out of trouble and finish in fifth place after starting his sprint from a little further back.

 

Sport director Laurenzo Lapage was content with the performance of the team and impressed with the steps forward made by Cort after the team’s success in the Vuelta.

 

“For most of the race it was a perfect situation for us with the breakaway up the road,” said Lapage. “That meant that we didn’t have to chase and the guys did a very good job of looking after Magnus (Cort) and staying focused on holding our position up near the front.

 

“Magnus is starting a new chapter now, his confidence is very high after his stage wins in the Vuelta and you could see today when he bridged solo across to the leaders before the finale that he is strong and full of self-belief.

 

“The sprint was close and again, even though he started from further back Magnus did well against a strong field dominated by Etixx-Quickstep and his confidence and new level can only be positive signs for ORICA-BikeExchange.”

 

Alexandr Porsev back in the mix at GP Impanis

It was a mass sprint to finish off the one-day Primus Classic Impanis - Van Petegem (1.HC) on Saturday in Belgium with Team KATUSHA’s Aleksandr Porsev turning in a strong sprint to earn sixth place on the 200,4 km day from Brakel to Boortmeerbeek. Teammate Marco Haller wasn’t far behind for tenth place.

 

”I felt quite good today and in the final I did all that I could. I did not have perfect position, but I had big support from my teammates. Marco did a good job leading me into the final km. I could not ask him for something more, because he was in the break and spent a lot of energy. Also the other guys did a good race today - our young trainee Alexander Maes showed himself very well. So I want to thank my team for support today. I would have liked to bring some more results, but that's racing,” said Aleksandr Porsev.

 

Marco Haller finished tenth after an active last part of the race saw him joining a late breakaway that looked possible to see success, but they were caught with 10 km to go and the group sprint followed. Porsev and Haller showed strong legs by placing in the top ten in Boortmeerbeek.

 

Michael Carbel gets confidence for Qatar with top 10 at GP Impanis

There were lots of attacks in the final of the Primus Classic Impanis – van Petegem (1.HC), but in the end the race came down to a sprint where Stölting’s Michael Carbel finished 9th.

 

Sports Director Jochen Hahn said after the race: “There was a big breakaway with most of the big teams at the beginning; we had Thomas Koep covering that move. But Fortuneo – Vital Concept brought them back, and then the smaller group gow away. The last 60 km were full-on with lots of attacks, but the team worked together well and supported Michael Carbel. We can be satisfied with this ninth place.”

 

“It was pretty hard, I could feel the effort from yesterday’s race,” said Michael Carbel. “So I divided the race into portions – to the feed zone, to km 150 and so on. I knew that the last 20 km would be flat, and I felt well in the final and prepared for the sprint. It’s very motivating to be able to sprint with the best after a long and hard race, and a good sign looking towards the World Championships in Qatar.”

 

Lammertink shows signs of improvement after long break

Roompot - Orange Platoon could play no significant role in the last racein Belgium this week. Unlike in Desselgem (won by Van Goethem), Wallonia (fourth for Huub Duijn) and Koolskamp (third for Raymond Kreder) there was no good result in the Primus Classic Impanis Van Petegem. Michel Kreder was the best-placed rider from the team. Johnny Hoogerland was active in the finale.

 

Maurits Lammertink showed that he is getting betterafter his heavy crash in Switzerland and comeback two weeks ago. The winner of the Tour de Luxembourg led Michel Kreder out for the final sprint. Kreder was 14th and best Dutchman.

 

Van Avermaet: We tried everything but the course was not hard enough

Greg Van Avermaet made multiple attempts to claim the win at Primus Classic Impanis Van Petegem in Belgium, where a bunch sprint eventually played out won by Fernando Gaviria (Etixx-QuickStep).

 

The 200km one-day classic, which Van Avermaet won in 2014, was his first race in Belgium since becoming Olympic Champion and saw a warm welcome extended to the Belgian champion before the start, including a visit from the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel.

 

A 3-rider breakaway went clear and later became a 6-rider group when three riders bridged the gap. With 65km to go the group’s advantage had reduced to 1’50” before the peloton brought them back 34km before the finish line.

 

Van Avermaet was part of a group that then attacked and established a 28 second lead, following which the race came back together with 8km to go to set the stage for the bunch sprint.

 

Despite solid teamwork which put Van Avermaet in a good position with 3km remaining, and a last minute attempt by Van Avermaet, he was unable to challenge for the sprint.

 

Greg Van Avermaet said:

 

“It was hard but the team put me in a good position. I think I opened up the race where it needed to be opened and then we were with a strong group on the front but we didn’t work too much together. The peloton was pretty strong and the parcours was a bit too flat to make it to the finish but we tried. I think we did everything that we could do. Sometimes you stay in the front and you can win the race. But today it all came back together and we didn’t have a big result but we did what we could do and that’s the most important thing.

 

"I opened the race when I found it necessary. We quickly got a good gap with a handsome group, but some teams wanted to have a bunch sprint. Moreover, the final on these flat roads was just not tough enough to escape the group sprint.

 

"I was trying to win the race again, but I failed. I hope to continue my good condition until the World. For me, the Eneco Tour is the last build-up for the Worlds. It is important to stay fresh. But my year has already been good. I wanted to achieve more after my Olympic title which already worked in Canada. "

 

Broken saddle destroys sprint for Dan McLay

Fortuneo-Vital Concept was in place in the final to bring Dan McLay forward. However, the Brit broke his seatpost less than two kilometers from the finish and could not compete in the sprint.