Timothy Dupont (Veranda’s Willems) continued what has been a marvelous breakthrough season by taking one of the biggest one-day wins of his career at Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen. The Belgian timed his sprint well to come around Fernando Gaviria after Etixx-QuickStep had been forced to start their lead-out too early and easily held the Colombian off to take the victory, with Raymond Kreder (Roompot) beating Kenny Dehaes (Wanty) in a close battle for third.

 

We have gathered a few reactions.

 

Dupont: Hopefully this win will help me to be selected for the Worlds

"This lion sweater will get a nice place in my trophy cabinet," Timothy Dupont told Het Nieuwsblad. "This jersey is won in this races and I attach importance to this jersey. It was really a tough race. When both Lotto and Quick Step went on the attack, there was just panic in the team. We had to go full gas to cancel that break. It was a crazy race, which was eventually decided in a bunch sprint. I must once again thank my teammates When you see what these guys do for me. Elite Riders without a contract give themselves fully to put me into the best position for a sprint. You can still only have admiration for that? If the team is good, I'm good.

 

"I'm fast and this year I have beaten Cavendish, Kittel and today Gaviria. That's a very great improvement for me. I also want to go to the Worlds as a sprinter. I can also ride in the crosswinds and I definitely want to sacrifice myself for Tom Boonen. By the way, I would find it a great honor if I am allowed to do that. I think the coach also looks at these races. As for my future, I received offers from LottoNL-Jumbo, but I would like to continue to ride for this team.

 

"The level of the field makes the win prestigious. It was a very hard race and I know I'm fast in a sprint. Etixx-QuickStep had a very good lead-out, but I could still beat Gaviria. This is one of my nicer victories, even though Nokere Koers is an HC race.

 

Verandas Willems manager Ivan De Schamphelaere was happy as his rider Dries De Bondt also took the lead in the Napoleon Games classification. 

 

"This is another icing on the cake. Although there are already several things to celebrated,” stated De Schamphelaere. “Throughout the season we perform at a very high level. This is great. Today we delivered another fine team performance. Look at what Yuri Calleeuw did like our stagiaire Arjen Livyns and Aidis Krruopis, just to mention three. This is a team which is close to each other.

 

"The future? There will be a bigger team, but I cannot say how many riders we will have. What I can say is that a professional continental team will be built around Verandas Willems. This will be done through a merger and a financial input. During the next week there will probably be a press release about the future of Verandas Willems. But this season is really a super year. That is already a fact.”

 

Gaviria takes over from ill Kittel: I had spent too much energy

Etixx – Quick-Step was in the thick of the action from the very first lap of the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (192.4 kilometers), sending Nikolas Maes and Guillame Van Keirsbulck in the original escape of the day, which went on to open a 4-minute lead over a peloton who found itself split at one point, before a regroupment took place with around 60 kilometers to go.

 

Despite that, it continued to rain with attacks from the bunch, Fernando Gaviria being among those who moved away to test the waters. The 22-year-old Colombian, who was racing for the second time in the past two months, got involved in several other attacks throughout the day and even though neither of these sticked, he continued to work for the team and pull at the front, spending a considerable amount of energy.

 

Marcel Kittel, the team's designated leader for the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen, stayed at all times during the race in the upper part of the pack, dutifully protected by his teammates, but was forced to abandon in the closing laps, due to stomach problems, which led to a change of strategy from the team. Fernando Gaviria took over sprinting duties in the hectic final kilometers, which saw Etixx – Quick-Step reel in Truls Korsaeth (Joker) with under one kilometer to go, and finished a close second, behind Timothy Dupont (Wallonie Bruxelles).

 

Gaviria, winner of five races in his maiden year in the pro ranks, is the first Colombian to conclude in the top 3 the Belgian race which this year celebrated its 101st edition, and his ride and result on Friday earned praise from sport director Rik van Slycke.

 

"Today, the team supported Marcel Kittel and tried to make the race harder, by splitting the peloton in the wind and pushing a high pace. Unfortunately, with three laps to go, Marcel had stomach pain and had to stop. It's a pity, because he was in good condition and we were very confident in his chances", said Van Slycke. "Immediately, we rallied behind Fernando, who already did a strong race by that point, by getting involved in several moves and pulling at the front of the bunch to catch the escapees. Fernando missed a little bit in the finale, which is quite normal, because he has just returned from a long break, but tomorrow brings another opportunity in GP Impanis-Van Petegem and we'll try again."

 

"I have wasted too much power during the race and therefore I was not fresh in the sprint," Gaviria said. "DuPont was the better sprinter today. Marcel Kittel said during the race that he was suffering from stomach pain and that we should not play his card. This was only my second race after the Olympics. That’s why I worked actively but there was not much to do against Dupont today. Dupont was the deserved winner. I was not 100 percent.”

 

Podium place gives Kreder confidence for the Eneco Tour

Raymond Kreder has again delivered a beautiful podium for Roompot with his third place.

 

Brian Van Goethem attacked several times and Wesley Kreder was in front in the finale. When his attempt ended in the final kilometers, he sacrificed his chances for cousin Raymond who did a strong sprint for third place.

 

"This is still confirmation you occasionally need," said the youngest of the three Kreders in the team. "Wesley brought me to the top 10 in the last kilometer. If you start in the wheel of Gaviria it is somewhat easier is to get a good result." 

 

After his fifth podium of the season, Kreder goes to Eneco Tour with extra confidence: "Following my serious crash in Denmark, I was out for a month and it took a while before I had a good feeling. Fortunately it is back just in time. "

 

Boeckmans back in the top 5 in Koolskamp

Lotto Soudal was very alert and had a rider in almost every attack in the finale. However, a sprint was inevitable. Kris Boeckmans sprinted to the fifth place.

 

Kris Boeckmans said: 

 

“It was a very hard race. At the start we set a high pace that ripped the peloton apart and in the end I was still able to sprint. I can be happy with my result. Halfway the race my saddle lowered down. After two laps I decided to change to my spare bike. In the finale, Michael Goolaerts brought me to the first rows of the peloton and he positioned me for the sprint. I told him what to do and he did everything perfectly. He has done a very good job today.”

 

Chain problems destroy sprint for Van Asbroeck in Koolskamp

Tom Asbroeck finished 11th in the Championship of Flanders. The 192-kilometre race in Koolskamp was won by Timothy Dupont (Verandas Willems Cycling Team) who edged Colombian sprinter Fernando Gaviria (Etixx - Quickstep) and Raymond Kreder (Team Roompot) at the finish line.

 

The Championship of Flanders in Koolskamp has a long history and this year celebrated its 101st edition. The circuit with a hard cobblestone section was hit by strong winds. The fans saw a beautiful animated race. Only after 90 kilometers, a group of six riders broke away with Moreno Hofland.

 

"Moreno Hofland was in the leading group," said Sports Director Frans Maassen. "There were six men in the leading group but no riders from Etixx - Quickstep and Lotto - Soudal. Then you know that these men are going to do something."

 

The leading group was three minutes ahead when suddenly Etixx - Quickstep and Lotto - Soudal attacked in the wind and formed an echelon.

 

"We made a mistake tactically because we had the control of the race with Hofland at the front," Maassen continued. "When the two Belgian top teams attacked, we were sleeping. We made it right again later when we closed the gap. When the group with Hofland was caught, an expected mass sprint followed. We unfortunately couldn't give everything because of a gear shifting problem with Tom Van Asbroeck. At 150 metres from the finish line, his chain fell off and he had to settle for a 11th place."

 

Tomorrow Team LottoNL-Jumbo continues the season in the Belgian semi-classic Primus Classic Impanis - Van Petegem.

 

Stöting ride aggressively in Koolskamp

The Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (1.1) in Koolskamp was a tough race with only about 40 riders remaining in the peloton at the finish. Michael Carbel was part of a breakaway in the middle of the race, and Jonas Tenbrock brought home a 32nd place.

 

“It was an incredibly hard race due to the wind,” said Sports Director Jochen Hahn. “There were attacks all the time, that’s how Michael Carbel got into the front group for a while. But in general it was a race of attrition; the peloton split, came back together, and all the time riders were dropped. It was a great performance by Jonas, Michael, and Sven [Reutter] to finish the race, that was anything but easy.”