One week ago Danny Van Poppel showed how far he has come in just his second professional season when he won the Tour de Luxembourg prologue. Today he put his climbing legs to good use before sprinting to fourth in the very hilly GP Gippingen.

The 181.5-kilometer circuit race consisted of 15 laps of 12.1 kilometers that started and ended in Gippingen. The course included a tough two-kilometer climb each lap, and with many teams lining up in the Tour de Suisse on Saturday, today’s race was an opportunity for the audacious. 

Three brave souls formed the day’s principal break, riding lap after lap in the front. However, the peloton pursued, increasing its speed in the final circuits., and the trio were brought back to the pack before the ultimate circuit. It was daring, but inevitably numbering only three, it was doomed.

The big guns fired on the final loop. Philip Gilbert (BMC), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) and Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) launched a dangerous move the final time up the climb, but it was short-lived. By the finish only a 20-strong group remained to contest the winning sprint.

Simon Geschke (Giant-Shimano) claimed the victory ahead of Silvan Dillier (BMC Racing) and Jerome Baugnies (Wanty-Groupe Gobert). The rush to the line was so close that there was confusion who finished third, fourth and fifth.  But when all was finally sorted, Danny van Poppel was the one who just missed the podium.

“At first we thought Danny was third, but then we heard he wasn’t third, so we thought fourth," sports director Kim Andersen said. "But there was a little confusion about the placings for a while. In the end he was fourth, and that is good. I was not sure that Danny could pass this climb each lap. And he did, that was really nice, he is showing really good form.”

The day began with an opportunistic Laurent Didier jumping off the front in a small group.  However, the peloton was not happy with this posse and they were soon brought back.  Soon after,  three others countered and were allowed space to surge ahead. The day’s break had formed and for the peloton behind, a race of attrition had begun.

“Straightaway after the start Laurent [Didier] went with a group but only for three kilometers," Andersen said. "Then another break went with the three riders and they had up to 10 minutes. Qhubeka started to ride from behind, and the last three laps the peloton was getting smaller and smaller.  After the last climb there was a group of around 20 riders.

"Our plan was nothing special: use the race to get the best out of it.  Danny and Boy were the two to stay calm to be there for a sprint finish. It usually is like today where there is a select group of around 20 that arrives to the finish for a sprint.”

Matthew Busche and Boy van Poppel were instrumental in helping Danny keep contact with the front group when the race hit its crescendo.

As expected, Fabian Cancellara pulled the plug in order to be fresh for the opening prologue of the Tour de Suisse on Saturday. The team did not want to take any risks after his training crash last Friday, where he fell at high speed during the time trial course reconnaissance.

“Fabian has a good chance to win the prologue in the Tour de Suisse, so the plan was for him to stop after 120-130 kilometers," Andersen said. "He did not train like he had planned after his crash. But, it’s like this. We shall see on Saturday how he goes.”