Sagan gets his win at Gent-Wevelgem

Peter Sagan picked up his first victory in the rainbow jersey Sunday with a win at Gent-Wevelgem. The Tinkoff star triumphed in a cagey four-man sprint at the end of a long, windy day in Belgium to take his second career title in the race.

Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL – Jumbo) took second, with Viacheslav Kuznetsov in third, delivering a podium performance for Katusha despite the eleventh-hour withdrawal of his teammate Alexander Kristoff, a pre-race favorite, due to illness.

Fabian Cancellara (Trek – Segafredo) was the last of the four across the line, while FDJ’s Arnaud Démare won the sprint for fifth in the peloton behind.

Excitement over the race finale was tempered by news from a hospital in nearby Lille, France. 25-year-old Belgian Antoine Demoitié (Wanty – Groupe Gobert) was struck by moto after a fall as the race passed through Sainte-Marie-Cappel in northern France. According to the AFP, Demoitié passed away after being transported to intensive care.

Top 10

• 1. Peter SAGAN, TINKOFF, in 5:55:12
• 2. Sep VANMARCKE, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
• 3. Viacheslav KUZNETSOV, TEAM KATUSHA, at :00
• 4. Fabian CANCELLARA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :00
• 5. Arnaud DEMARE, FDJ, at :11
• 6. Fernando GAVIRIA RENDON, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :11
• 7. Jurgen ROELANDTS, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :11
• 8. Jacopo GUARNIERI, TEAM KATUSHA, at :11
• 9. Greg VAN AVERMAET, BMC RACING TEAM, at :11
• 10. Michael MORKOV, TEAM KATUSHA, at :11

 
Sunday’s event took place under mostly dry but windy conditions in the Flemish countryside, which led to splits even from the first hour of racing.

Groups broke apart and reformed throughout the afternoon after the peloton set out on the 243-kilometer journey from Denize, near Ghent, to Wevelgem. After a five-man move of Matteo Trentin (Etixx – Quick-Step), Daniel Oss (BMC Racing), Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek – Segafredo), Tiesj Benoot (Lotto – Soudal), and Pavel Brutt (Katusha) was reeled in, Kuznetsov jumped clear on his own as the peloton approached the day’s final few climbs.

The 26-year-old Russian opened up a gap of nearly a minute, but soon found himself riding with company. Cancellara attacked on the Kemmelberg and Sagan and Vanmarcke followed. They bridged to Kuznetsov to form a lead quartet some 35 kilometers from the finish.

Zdenek Stybar (Etixx – Quick-Step), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing), and Luke Rowe (Sky) tried to give chase, forming a second group on the road, but the four up the road only increased the advantage as the parcours flattened out.

The peloton reabsorbed the chasing trio, but the bunch was unable to put much of a dent into the advantage of the escapees, which collaborated well as the kilometers ticked down.

When it became clear that the win would come out of the group up front, none of the four wanted to be the one to lead out the sprint. Kuznetsov finally took it up inside the final few hundred meters and opened up a small gap, but Sagan jumped with him and then blew past to take the win.

Vanmarcke just barely pipped Kuznetsov at the line for second.

“The sprint was very slow because we had a lot of time in front of the group,” Sagan said. “And the guys know Fabian is fast after a lot of kilometers like today. And they know I’m fast if I feel good

“Today I felt very good.”

For Sagan, the win could help relieve a bit of pressure. The 26-year-old Slovakian has already racked up six second-place finishes this season, including a runner-up result in Friday’s E3 Harelbeke, but until crossing the finish line in Wevelgem he had not won a race since taking the world championship title in Richmond last year.

“I am very happy I won finally with this jersey,” he said.

Gent-Wevelgem results

• 1. Peter SAGAN, TINKOFF, in 5:55:12
• 2. Sep VANMARCKE, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
• 3. Viacheslav KUZNETSOV, TEAM KATUSHA, at :00
• 4. Fabian CANCELLARA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :00
• 5. Arnaud DEMARE, FDJ, at :11
• 6. Fernando GAVIRIA RENDON, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :11
• 7. Jurgen ROELANDTS, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :11
• 8. Jacopo GUARNIERI, TEAM KATUSHA, at :11
• 9. Greg VAN AVERMAET, BMC RACING TEAM, at :11
• 10. Michael MORKOV, TEAM KATUSHA, at :11
• 11. Giacomo NIZZOLO, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :11
• 12. Luka MEZGEC, ORICA – GreenEDGE, at :11
• 13. Pieter VANSPEYBROUCK, TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE, at :11
• 14. Aleksejs SARAMOTINS, IAM CYCLING, at :11
• 15. Tiesj BENOOT, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :11
• 16. Koen DE KORT, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :11
• 17. Pavel BRUTT, TINKOFF, at :11
• 18. Edvald BOASSON HAGEN, DIMENSION DATA, at :11
• 19. Andriy GRIVKO, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :11
• 20. Tom BOONEN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :17
• 21. Niki TERPSTRA, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :19
• 22. Luke ROWE, TEAM SKY, at :24
• 23. Stijn VANDENBERGH, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :28
• 24. Daniel OSS, BMC RACING TEAM, at :59
• 25. Jens KEUKELEIRE, ORICA – GreenEDGE, at 1:07
• 26. Bryan COQUARD, DIRECT ENERGIE, at 1:22
• 27. Berden DE VRIES, ROOMPOT – ORANJE PELOTON, at 5:08
• 28. Alexander PORSEV, TEAM KATUSHA, at 5:08
• 29. Tom VAN ASBROECK, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 5:08
• 30. Maarten TJALLINGII, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 5:08
• 31. Cyril LEMOINE, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 5:08
• 32. Manuel QUINZIATO, BMC RACING TEAM, at 5:08
• 33. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC RACING TEAM, at 5:08
• 34. Edward THEUNS, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 5:08
• 35. Michal GOLAS, TEAM SKY, at 5:08
• 36. Andrey AMADOR BIKKAZAKOVA, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 5:08
• 37. Oscar GATTO, TINKOFF, at 5:08
• 38. Sacha MODOLO, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 5:08
• 39. Nikolas MAES, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 5:08
• 40. Zico WAEYTENS, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 5:08
• 41. Bert VAN LERBERGHE, TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE, at 6:05
• 42. Lars Ytting BAK, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 6:05
• 43. Bram TANKINK, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 6:06
• 44. Amaury CAPIOT, TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE, at 6:08
• 45. Yohann GENE, DIRECT ENERGIE, at 6:11
• 46. Zdenek STYBAR, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 6:16
• 47. Matteo TRENTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 6:16
• 48. Jasha SÜTTERLIN, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 6:21
• 49. Mitchell DOCKER, ORICA – GreenEDGE, at 7:16
• 50. Grégory RAST, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 7:16
• 51. Laurens DE VREESE, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 11:05
• 52. Paolo SIMION, BARDIANI CSF, at 11:05
• 53. Michael SCHÄR, BMC RACING TEAM, at 11:05
• 54. Jesper ASSELMAN, ROOMPOT – ORANJE PELOTON, at 11:05
• 55. Roy JANS, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at 11:05
• 56. Marcus BURGHARDT, BMC RACING TEAM, at 11:05
• 57. Murilo Antonio FISCHER, FDJ, at 11:05
• 58. Mickael DELAGE, FDJ, at 11:05
• 59. Tomasz KIENDYS, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 11:05
• 60. Marko KUMP, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 11:05
• 61. Jasper DE BUYST, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 11:05
• 62. Bert DE BACKER, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 11:05
• 63. Raymond KREDER, ROOMPOT – ORANJE PELOTON, at 11:05
• 64. Michael VAN STAEYEN, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 11:05
• 65. Gediminas BAGDONAS, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 11:05
• 66. Robert WAGNER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 11:05
• 67. Roy CURVERS, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at 11:05
• 68. Mike TEUNISSEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 11:05
• 69. Sébastien TURGOT, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 11:05
• 70. Guillaume VAN KEIRSBULCK, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 11:05
• 71. Danny VAN POPPEL, TEAM SKY, at 11:09
• 72. Sylvain CHAVANEL, DIRECT ENERGIE, at 11:11
• 73. Marco COLEDAN, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 11:11
• 74. Maciej BODNAR, TINKOFF, at 11:11
• 75. Sander HELVEN, TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE, at 11:11
• 76. Josef CERNY, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 11:11
• 77. Marco HALLER, TEAM KATUSHA, at 11:11
• 78. Wesley KREDER, ROOMPOT – ORANJE PELOTON, at 11:11
• 79. Yaroslav POPOVYCH, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 11:11
• 80. Tyler FARRAR, DIMENSION DATA, at 11:57
• 81. Nick DOUGALL, DIMENSION DATA, at 12:02
• 82. Simon PELLAUD, IAM CYCLING, at 12:03
• DNF Erik BASKA, TINKOFF
• DNF Adam BLYTHE, TINKOFF
• DNF Michael GOGL, TINKOFF
• DNF Michal KOLÁR, TINKOFF
• DNF André GREIPEL, LOTTO SOUDAL
• DNF Frederik FRISON, LOTTO SOUDAL
• DNF Jens DEBUSSCHERE, LOTTO SOUDAL
• DNF Marcel SIEBERG, LOTTO SOUDAL
• DNF Jean-Pierre DRUCKER, BMC RACING TEAM
• DNF Rick ZABEL, BMC RACING TEAM
• DNF Sven erik BYSTRØM, TEAM KATUSHA
• DNF Sergey LAGUTIN, TEAM KATUSHA
• DNF Fumiyuki BEPPU, TREK – SEGAFREDO
• DNF Niccolo BONIFAZIO, TREK – SEGAFREDO
• DNF Jos VAN EMDEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
• DNF Thomas LEEZER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO
• DNF Matt BRAMMEIER, DIMENSION DATA
• DNF Reinardt JANSE VAN RENSBURG, DIMENSION DATA
• DNF Mekseb DEBESAY, DIMENSION DATA
• DNF Mark RENSHAW, DIMENSION DATA
• DNF Jay Robert THOMSON, DIMENSION DATA
• DNF Maxime DANIEL, AG2R LA MONDIALE
• DNF Nico DENZ, AG2R LA MONDIALE
• DNF Damien GAUDIN, AG2R LA MONDIALE
• DNF Hugo HOULE, AG2R LA MONDIALE
• DNF Quentin JAUREGUI, AG2R LA MONDIALE
• DNF Lars BOOM, ASTANA PRO TEAM
• DNF Dmitriy GRUZDEV, ASTANA PRO TEAM
• DNF Lieuwe WESTRA, ASTANA PRO TEAM
• DNF Arman KAMYSHEV, ASTANA PRO TEAM
• DNF Alexey LUTSENKO, ASTANA PRO TEAM
• DNF Gatis SMUKULIS, ASTANA PRO TEAM
• DNF Matti BRESCHEL, CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Alberto BETTIOL, CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Patrick BEVIN, CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Jack BAUER, CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Sebastian LANGEVELD, CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Dylan VAN BAARLE, CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Wouter WIPPERT, CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Alan MARANGONI, CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TEAM
• DNF Olivier LE GAC, FDJ
• DNF Ignatas KONOVALOVAS, FDJ
• DNF Matthieu LADAGNOUS, FDJ
• DNF Johan LE BON, FDJ
• DNF Yoann OFFREDO, FDJ
• DNF Heinrich HAUSSLER, IAM CYCLING
• DNF Reto HOLLENSTEIN, IAM CYCLING
• DNF Leigh HOWARD, IAM CYCLING
• DNF Roger KLUGE, IAM CYCLING
• DNF Vegard Stake LAENGEN, IAM CYCLING
• DNF Oliver NAESEN, IAM CYCLING
• DNF Mattia CATTANEO, LAMPRE – MERIDA
• DNF Gang XU, LAMPRE – MERIDA
• DNF Chun Kai FENG, LAMPRE – MERIDA
• DNF Roberto FERRARI, LAMPRE – MERIDA
• DNF Luka PIBERNIK, LAMPRE – MERIDA
• DNF Federico ZURLO, LAMPRE – MERIDA
• DNF Jorge ARCAS PENA, MOVISTAR TEAM
• DNF Carlos Alberto BETANCUR GOMEZ, MOVISTAR TEAM
• DNF Nelson Filipe SANTOS SIMOES OLIVEIRA, MOVISTAR TEAM
• DNF Antonio PEDRERO LOPEZ, MOVISTAR TEAM
• DNF Juan Jose LOBATO DEL VALLE, MOVISTAR TEAM
• DNF Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, MOVISTAR TEAM
• DNF Søren Kragh ANDERSEN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
• DNF Ramon SINKELDAM, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
• DNF Tom STAMSNIJDER, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
• DNF Albert TIMMER, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN
• DNF Luke DURBRIDGE, ORICA – GreenEDGE
• DNF Sam BEWLEY, ORICA – GreenEDGE
• DNF Magnus Cort NIELSEN, ORICA – GreenEDGE
• DNF Svein TUFT, ORICA – GreenEDGE
• DNF Christian KNEES, TEAM SKY
• DNF Salvatore PUCCIO, TEAM SKY
• DNF Andrew FENN, TEAM SKY
• DNF Elia VIVIANI, TEAM SKY
• DNF Preben VAN HECKE, TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE
• DNF Jonas RICKAERT, TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE
• DNF Gijs VAN HOECKE, TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE
• DNF Jef VAN MEIRHAEGHE, TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE
• DNF Kenny DE HAES, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT
• DNF Antoine DEMOITIE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT
• DNF Simone ANTONINI, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT
• DNF Tom DEVRIENDT, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT
• DNF Marco MARCATO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT
• DNF Mark MCNALLY, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT
• DNF Danilo NAPOLITANO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT
• DNF Luca STERBINI, BARDIANI CSF
• DNF Alessandro TONELLI, BARDIANI CSF
• DNF Nicola BOEM, BARDIANI CSF
• DNF Sonny COLBRELLI, BARDIANI CSF
• DNF Mirco MAESTRI, BARDIANI CSF
• DNF Lorenzo ROTA, BARDIANI CSF
• DNF Nicola RUFFONI, BARDIANI CSF
• DNF Adrian KUREK, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
• DNF Michal PALUTA, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
• DNF Jaroslaw MARYCZ, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
• DNF Bartlomiej MATYSIAK, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
• DNF Grzegorz STEPNIAK, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
• DNF Simone PONZI, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE
• DNF Jonas AHLSTRAND, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
• DNF Hugo Hofstetter, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
• DNF Nacer BOUHANNI, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
• DNF Christophe LAPORTE, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
• DNF Florian SENECHAL, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
• DNF Kenneth VAN BILSEN, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
• DNF Romain CARDIS, DIRECT ENERGIE
• DNF Tony HUREL, DIRECT ENERGIE
• DNF Julien MORICE, DIRECT ENERGIE
• DNF Adrien PETIT, DIRECT ENERGIE
• DNF Angelo TULIK, DIRECT ENERGIE
• DNF Tim KERKHOF, ROOMPOT – ORANJE PELOTON
• DNF André LOOIJ, ROOMPOT – ORANJE PELOTON
• DNF Ivar SLIK, ROOMPOT – ORANJE PELOTON
• DNF Barry MARKUS, ROOMPOT – ORANJE PELOTON
• DNS Alexander KRISTOFF, TEAM KATUSHA
• DNS Alexis GOUGEARD, AG2R LA MONDIALE
• DNS Ian STANNARD, TEAM SKY