Thank you for joining us here in Deinze for the cobbled classic Gent-Wevelgem. The best CT cobblers and some great PCT riders are assembled here for a 250 kilometers long day – with hills and cobbles moreover.
The bookmakers have they own mind about who should win the race :
The sun is bright, the wind is strong. A good day to ride and create opportunities !
We join the race after the first 50 kilometers. There was a hard beginning, with the peloton only allowing two riders to create the break, and even not giving them much space, as the maximal gap was 30 seconds. The pace dropped a bit after the first paved sector, where other attacks happened. Now we are looking at a 18 riders break, who have a 4 minutes lead to the peloton. Welcome the braves of the day ! Wright, Katrasnik Jallays, Feiereisen Johansen Debesay Martino Scully, Reddish Kelly, Redy Van Tricht Christapopoulos Selig Bernas Stuyven Van Dijke Alaphilippe
The peloton is led by Bianchi-Panerai, Tafjord Kraft, BNZ-Superhero, BWT Hyundai and Caja Rural.
The wind has slowed down a bit, but could still provoke damage if the favourites don’t take care.
The peloton seems well in control : the break has lost one minute when it comes by the Casselberg, with 130 to go.
Johansen and Katrasnik have great difficulties on the cobbles and lose contact with the head of the race, led by Redy and Stuyven.
Behind them, Ariesen hauls the peloton on the hill, and he even earns a small gap. Right behind him, last year winner Manakov and his teammate Gibbons are also a step in front of the peloton, though all should come back to normal very fast.
But it doesn’t ! Ariesen and Manakov don’t wait for the peloton and try to bridge with the breakaway, which should not be easy as they have a 2 minutes advance. Behind, Tafjord Kraft is already chasing : they see the threat that the last year winner and his former teammate could be for them !
The peloton explodes in the Casselberg, and there are groups everywhere beyond a 98 riders peloton. Most of Popo4Ever and Le Creuset riders are in the back of the race, but all the favourites seems to be ok.
Tafjord Kraft makes the race very hard for everyone thanks to the work of Waersted. The peloton has eaten Johansen, Ariesen and Manakov and the head of the race only has a 2 minutes gap over them. Katrasnik is still alone in between. With 105 km to go – 7 until the next paved sector, Matthews launches an attack. He’s followed by Siric and Nielsen. They easily take back Katrasnik. Okbamariam, Lindeman and Scotson go right behind them.
Less than 100 km to go, and the break is in Kemmel for the first time.
Let’s see what the gaps and groups are :
– The leading groups counts 16 riders : Wright Jallays, Feiereisen Debesay Martino Scully, Reddish Kelly, Redy Van Tricht Christapopoulos Selig Bernas Stuyven Van Dijke Alaphilippe
– Siric is alone, at 1’25
– Nielsen, Lindeman and Scotson are chasing at 1’39
– Okbamariam and Matthews are behind them, at 1’51
– Then there are Ariesen, Katrasnik and Poljanec, 2’ from the leading group.
– The peloton of 92 comes next, at 2’24
– A dropped group of 20, at 4’24, where we can find Guardini and Colbrelli
– Hailemichael is alone at 5’
– A group of 8 at 5’35 : Culey, Phelan, Orlov, Redecker, Zumer, Granigan, Barbosa and Bechkov
– Le Creuset La Lavandier, Garibian and Teuns at 6’47
– Chevrier at 7’40.
These guys will have a long, long day.
The things don’t really settle in the first circuit, and though the peloton did catch up most of the new attackers, it thinned to 55 riders.
Breen might have exhausted his teammates a bit early, has he only has Kaislavuo at his side, whereas Fenn still has 4 riders with him, and all of Bianchi team is here.
All the sprinters are here too, with the exception of Boeckmans, who is in a 9 riders group, 1’50 behind the peloton.
The second passage on the Kemmelberg splits the brak. A 3 griders group now leads the race, and Silva is riding to bring the peloton back. Marcos is trying is luck and launches an attack, but the peloton is attentive and the break is close to be caught, but on the favourites list, Rathe has been dropped.
And now it’s raining.
A small break for us, and we’re back. 70 kilometers to go in this year Gent-Wevelgem, we only have a 3 riders break to lead the race : Scully, Kelly and Van Dijke are the last ones standing. Stuyven isn’t far behind, but he’s alone.
The peloton still has to climb the paved Kemmelberg 3 times, while some of the late guys already have been seen again by the peloton !
20 kilometers later, Kelly is the lone survivor from the break, and he has a growing 0’50 lead to the 35 men peloton.
But he will not win today. The peloton catches him in the last climb of Kemmelberg. Orue, closely followed by Breen, puts an end to the paved hell. Now the descent, and a 40 km flat race to the finish line in Wevelgem.
35 km to go, and some riders came back in the peloton. It’s the moment chose by Poljanec, Nielsen and Ariesen to go into the attack once again. Scully don’t let them go, but as soon as the race paces itself, they go at it again!
Those are clearly not happy with a bunch sprint finish! Air New Zeland and Bianchi are working hard to bring them back, but with 25 km to go a group of 4 (the former three, and Okbamariam) has a 0’40 lead! That will probably the end of any dropped rider hope to join back the peloton.
With 15 km to go, the lead (without Okbamariam) has a 0’30 lead, even though the peloton is working well together. And Breen tries to go out! He manages to get a small gap, accompanied by Chatarunga.
Declerq tows everyone to bridge the gap, but while doing that, he breaks the peloton once again. Meanwhile, the cobbles specialist try to attack once again!
There is no more than 10 km to go, so we can take the time to see where we are at, before the great fight begins.
Breen is alone at the head of the race. He has a 0’12 lead on Fenn and Saber.
Behind them is a group of 13 with the rest of the favourites. They are at 0’20.
The second chasing group, with Manakov, Vermeersch, Paprstka and Richardson is down 0’40.
The lead is brought back just before the 5 km banner, and Saber counters! Does he feel he can win alone?
Maybe he can! 3 km to go before Wevelgem, and he has a 20 seconds lead to the other favourites. Nobody seems to really work to bring him back! With 1 km to go, it’s looking good to Colombini-Adler.
Saber wins Gent-Wevelgem alone! What a race! What a win! The bet is already proving a winning one for Saber.
Behind him, the sprint is on. Domene launched early and has a small gap 400m before the line. Chatarunga and Siric are with him, but they seem done for. Breen and Sanikwathi can maybe contest the 2nd place, 100 meters behind Domene.
They can’t. Domene takes the second place. Sanikwathi is coming strong right after him, Breen seems exhausted. Sweeck, Fenn and Taubel also are in the competition.
Sanikwathi takes the last place on the podium!
He’s followed by Fenn, and Breen, who can hold Sweeck back for 5th. The Minions rider takes 6th. Taubel (7th), De Witte (8th), Siric (9th) and Chatarunga close the top 10.
While the last riders will take a while to arrive in Wevelgem, we thank you for following this race with us, and wish to see you next time.
