Welcome to the Grand Prix de Wallonie! Before the race kicks off, let’s have a more specific look at the course. The race is 196.6km long and constantly changing in gradient. They key part of the race comes in the final 20km – there are three tough climbs here:
Cote de Lustin: 2.7km @ 5.7%
Tienne aux Pierres: 2.9km @ 5.4%
Citadelle de Namur: 1.9km @ 5.8%
As the name implies, this final climb takes us to the finish line in Namur. Looking at the favourites, there are the names that you would normally expect to be listed but in addition in the top 15 favourites 6/7 Gazelle riders are named.
The race starts and while the race director is still waving his flag HTC’s stagiaire Pavel Potocki attacks.
He is joined by three more riders to form the break of the day: Massimiliano Maisto David Chokheli Sven Erik Bystrom
All of the early pacing in the peloton is being done by Mugerli and Kriek. These two succeed in ensuring that the gap grows to a maximum of only 7’15”.
After the gap grows to this level Gazelle really kick into gear and their entire team except for Weening is on the front setting a cracking pace. No one else is helping but with this sort of train setting the pace you may not need back-up!
We hit the first of the tough trio of climbs that will finish this race – the Cote de Lustin. So there are 20km remaining and the gap has shrunk tremendously to 2’08”. Sensing that the pace needs to rise if he is to stay away Chokheli attacks out of the break. Maisto jumps onto his wheel
The gap is only 1’54” at the summit to these two. However, they don’t appear to have made up much ground because their two fellow breakaway companions manage to get back to them on the descent.
The race now descends to the second last climb, the Tienne aux Pierres. It comes with 13km remaining and the gap is now at only 1’40”. Rather than waiting, the same two riders attack out of the break again.
This attack succeeds in getting a bit more of a gap and indeed Chokheli looks fabulously strong as he also succeeds in dropping Maisto altogether! He goes solo over the top while Maisto prefers to wait for the other two chasers and drops back to them.
This is clearly considered the major springboard for an attack by most of these riders as Weening decides to finally launch his bid for victory! The team has done a huge amount for him so far – can he make it count?
Three other leaders follow his back wheel and join up with him: Joaquin Rodriguez Pieter Serry Cesar Andre Fonte
Of course with Weening attacking Gazelle stop working and it looks like no one else is really able to drag the peloton along after this very tough day of racing. So these three are allowed to get a big gap very quickly as the bunch sits up.
Over the top the gaps are:
28”
59”
2’13”
Chokheli
--->
3 Chasers
--->
Gr. Weening
--->
Peloton
The race descends down to our final climb which will take us up to Namur and the finish line. Chokheli hits the final climb but he takes a moment to look over his shoulder and his gap is under 20” now. Potocki is doing a lot of work here to bring him back.
Slightly further back Weening is quickly trying to get the other favourites who are with him to work but no one seems willing. They clearly don’t want to bring the overwhelming favourite to the line. Because of this the gap to the front as the final climb starts is over 2 minutes! It looks like the break are going to take this!
Speaking of the break Potocki succeeds in bringing Chokheli back with 1.5km remaining. So it will come down to a sprint amongst these four.
Bystrom leads the entire group into the sprint with Potocki in second and Maisto on his left. Chokheli has already drifted to the back of the group.
A gap opens to Bystrom and Potocki but Chokheli seems to have found a second wind and is moving fast.
But Pavel Potocki comes past to take the win! That is a huge result for a stagiaire and you have to wonder if he will get a full contract next year.
Bystrom comes through in second while Chokheli can only look on as Potocki celebrates in the distance. Maisto will have to settle for 4th.
Weening wins the sprint for fifth, which in a way means that everyone else was justified to not help him. Rodriguez is sixth, Fonte is seventh and Serry makes it a great day for his team as he finishes eighth.
Meanwhile in the bunch sprint Sanchez and Valencia come through for ninth and tenth.
I’m afraid the results didn’t export so here are the pictures:
