2016 Gent - Wevelgem (World Tour), Belgium
Ghent - Wevelgem (English), Gand - Wevelgem (French)
78th edition: Sunday, March 27, 2016
Gent-Wevelgem Podium History | 2015 Edition | 2017 edition | Course map | Start list
Deinze - Wevelgem, 242.8 km
Peter Sagan wins 2016 Gent-Wevelgem
The Climbs:
- Km 144: Catsberg
- Km 148: Kokereelberg
- Km 150: Vert Mont
- Km 152: Côte du Ravel Put
- Km 157: Côte de la Blanchisserie
- Km 164: Beneberg
- Km 172: Kemmelberg
- Km 176: Monteberg
- Km 203: Beneberg
- Km 209: Kemmelberg
The Race: Here's the tale as told by winner Peter Sagan's Tinkoff team.
A stunning victory for Peter Sagan today as he took his first win in the rainbow stripes of the UCI World Champion’s jersey at Gent-Wevelgem. In the second of the four cobblestone classics, and in a contrast to his win in 2013 which he won after a solo breakaway, Peter took the win in a four-man sprint, having escaped in a group 34km from the finish.
Speaking at the finish, a thrilled Sagan talked about his first win. “I'm very happy that I've won finally with this jersey. It's an important race for me also - it’s the second time I have won here. I want to dedicate this victory to my father in law as he had a hard time yesterday and I'm very happy to have won this race for him, and for our team owner, Oleg Tinkov.”
The 234km course was flat for the first 125km, but these more open sections of the course were exposed and windswept, sapping the energy reserves of the riders. After this, at 140km, the climbs came thick and fast – ten climbs in the space of 65km. It was on these climbs the race would be won or lost.
Peter Sagan was in the front group from early on in the race, among the other race favourites, but stayed hidden in order to save energy for the finish. A tailwind was helping the bunch along for the first half of the race, but the riders knew this would be working against them on the home stretch. Hitting the major climbs, the field was stretched out, however no major splits had formed. It was after the final climb, the Kemmelberg, that the decisive move was made and the race was on.
With 34km to go, Fabian Cancellara of Trek-Segafredo went, taking Sagan with him, and bridging the gap to Katusha’s Kuznetsov, who was further up the road. Having been joined by LottoNL-Jumbo’s Vanmarcke, the breakaway quickly built up a lead of 35 seconds on the rest of the peloton.
With 5km of the race left and a 45 second time gap, it seemed certain the break wasn’t going to be caught. The chase had fallen apart, meaning it was all down to the four riders in the breakaway, and the race was to be decided with a sprint to the line. At less than 2km to the finish, the breakaway slowed, looking at each other to see who was going to make their move. Finally after Cancellara feigned an attack, Kuznetsov went and Sagan followed, using the Russian rider to lead him out and take the win in the sprint.
From the finish, Peter described the break. “The final was very hard because we were in a breakaway. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake as before and pull until the finish. We had a gap, I started from third position, and I said I had to go behind him and he pulled me in a very good sprint.”
At the finish, Sagan was quick to thank his teammates, who were instrumental in keeping him safe in the early stages of the race. “I am very happy for today. I have to thank my teammates as they did a lot of hard work today. From the start they were a bit on the back foot but they came again. We played a bit with the group, and it was good from them. I had a hard time yesterday I am very happy for today. It was very hard and I want to thank my teammates. Every race is different and today was my day.”
Peter continued, describing the final 30km of the race. “In the final it was a hard race with the strong wind and we went full gas. In the final we attacked with Fabian in the last cobblestone climb, Kemmelberg, and made the breakaway. Then I think the fans also saw the breakaway - we worked well together from the start. In the sprint the speed was very slow as we spent a lot of time on the front of the group. Today I felt very, very good and the victory is here and for that I'm very happy.”
Sport Director, Tristan Hoffman, was full of praise for Peter and the team. “It was clear from the start that we go with Peter today, and the guys were all focused on the plan. Pavel Brutt was in the first breakaway - they were let go but there were crosswinds and big splits in the peloton so the situation was always changing. A big split in the peloton came behind with 30 or so riders coming across, including Peter. Then there was a chase group behind and we had five others there too so we were always in a good situation.”
While the racing was hard, the team worked well, continued Tristan. “It came back together and kept changing but the guys always stayed calm and protected peter. When Pavel Brutt went again the others could focus on looking after him and positioning him for the difficulties. Then on the last climb Peter went full gas and got a gap, ending up in the front with three others. They had to go full gas, but without blowing himself up before the sprint, and he gauged his effort well. On the big roads they were chasing hard behind but they rode really strong at front and held the gap, and at the end he finished it off in style.”
After two of the cobblestone classics, there remain the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. After taking his first win of the season, Peter was philosophical about the coming races. “For sure what is very important is I have good condition. Friday was a different race and today was much better for me. I am very happy and I am on good form for Flanders and Roubaix. E3 was a different race and you can see the end of the race was different. Everybody knows I was tired – I worked a lot on Friday. In life there are more important things than placings – I’m riding for passion, not for ambition.”
Tristan praised Sagan’s approach to racing. “Peter is a great champion - the other races that he has almost won, he was disappointed but always quick to focus on the next one. He knows how to handle these moments and how to focus and give everything. It's great to work with him.”
Complete Results:
242.8 kilometers raced at an average speed of 41.014 km/hr
1 | Peter Sagan | Tinkoff | 5hr 55min 12sec |
2 | Sep Vanmarcke | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
3 | Viacheslav Kuznetsov | Katusha | s.t. |
4 | Fabian Cancellara | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
5 | Arnaud Démare | FDJ | @ 11sec |
6 | Fernando Gaviria | Etixx-Quick Step | s.t. |
7 | Jürgen Roelandts | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
8 | Jacopo Guarnieri | Katusha | s.t. |
9 | Greg Van Avermaet | BMC | s.t. |
10 | Michael Mørkøv | Katusha | s.t. |
11 | Giacomo Nizzolo | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
12 | Luka Mezgec | Orica-GreenEdge | s.t. |
13 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck | Topsport Vlaanderen | s.t. |
14 | Aleksejs Saramotins | IAM Cycling | s.t. |
15 | Tiesj Benoot | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
16 | Koen de Kort | Giant - Alpecin | s.t. |
17 | Pavel Brutt | Tinkoff | s.t. |
18 | Edvald Boasson Hagen | Dimension Data | s.t. |
19 | Andriy Grivko | Astana | s.t. |
20 | Tom Boonen | Etixx-Quick Step | +17'' |
21 | Niki Terpstra | Etixx-Quick Step | +19'' |
22 | Luke Rowe | Sky | +24'' |
23 | Stijn Vandenbergh | Etixx-Quick Step | +28'' |
24 | Daniel Oss | BMC | +59'' |
25 | Jens Keukeleire | Orica-GreenEdge | +1' 07'' |
26 | Bryan Coquard | Direct Énergie | +1' 22'' |
27 | Berden de Vries | Roompot Oranje Peloton | +5' 08'' |
28 | Alexander Porsev | Katusha | s.t. |
29 | Tom Van Asbroeck | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
30 | Maarten Tjallingii | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
31 | Cyril Lemoine | Cofidis | s.t. |
32 | Manuel Quinziato | BMC | s.t. |
33 | Taylor Phinney | BMC | s.t. |
34 | Edward Theuns | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
35 | Michal Golas | Sky | s.t. |
36 | Andrey Amador | Movistar | s.t. |
37 | Oscar Gatto | Tinkoff | s.t. |
38 | Sacha Modolo | Lampre Merida | s.t. |
39 | Nikolas Maes | Etixx-Quick Step | s.t. |
40 | Zico Waeytens | Giant - Alpecin | s.t. |
41 | Bert Van Lerberghe | Topsport Vlaanderen | +6' 05'' |
42 | Lars Bak | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
43 | Bram Tankink | LottoNL-Jumbo | +6' 06'' |
44 | Amaury Capiot | Topsport Vlaanderen | +6' 08'' |
45 | Yohann Gène | Direct Énergie | +6' 11'' |
46 | Zdenek Štybar | Etixx-Quick Step | +6' 16'' |
47 | Matteo Trentin | Etixx-Quick Step | s.t. |
48 | Jasha Sütterlin | Movistar | +6' 21'' |
49 | Mitch Docker | Orica-GreenEdge | +7' 16'' |
50 | Grégory Rast | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
51 | Laurens De Vreese | Astana | +11' 05'' |
52 | Paolo Simion | Bardiani CSF | s.t. |
53 | Michael Schär | BMC | s.t. |
54 | Jesper Asselman | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
55 | Roy Jans | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
56 | Marcus Burghardt | BMC | s.t. |
57 | Murilo Fischer | FDJ | s.t. |
58 | Mickaël Delage | FDJ | s.t. |
59 | Tomasz Kiendys | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
60 | Marko Kump | Lampre Merida | s.t. |
61 | Jasper De Buyst | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
62 | Bert De Backer | Giant - Alpecin | s.t. |
63 | Raymond Kreder | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
64 | Michael Van Staeyen | Cofidis | s.t. |
65 | Gediminas Bagdonas | Ag2r | s.t. |
66 | Robert Wagner | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
67 | Roy Curvers | Giant - Alpecin | s.t. |
68 | Mike Teunissen | LottoNL-Jumbo | s.t. |
69 | Sébastien Turgot | Ag2r | s.t. |
70 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck | Etixx-Quick Step | +11' 05'' |
71 | Danny van Poppel | Sky | +11' 09'' |
72 | Sylvain Chavanel | Direct Énergie | +11' 11'' |
73 | Marco Coledan | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
74 | Maciej Bodnar | Tinkoff | s.t. |
75 | Sander Helven | Topsport Vlaanderen | s.t. |
76 | Josef Cerný | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
77 | Marco Haller | Katusha | s.t. |
78 | Wesley Kreder | Roompot Oranje Peloton | s.t. |
79 | Yaroslav Popovych | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
80 | Tyler Farrar | Dimension Data | +11' 57'' |
81 | Nicolas Dougall | Dimension Data | +12' 02'' |
82 | Simon Pellaud | IAM Cycling | +12' 03'' |
Start list with back numbers, March 26, 2016:
TINKOFF | |
1 | SAGAN Peter |
2 | BASKA Erik |
3 | BLYTHE Adam |
4 | BODNAR Maciej |
5 | BRUTT Pavel |
6 | GOGL Michael |
7 | KOLAR Michal |
8 | GATTO Oscar |
ETIXX - QUICK STEP | |
11 | BOONEN Tom |
12 | GAVIRIA RENDON Fernando |
13 | MAES Nikolas |
14 | VAN KEIRSBULCK Guillaume |
15 | STYBAR Zdenek |
16 | TERPSTRA Niki |
17 | TRENTIN Matteo |
18 | VANDENBERGH Stijn |
LOTTO - SOUDAL | |
21 | GREIPEL André |
22 | FRISON Frederik |
23 | DE BUYST Jasper |
24 | DEBUSSCHERE Jens |
25 | BAK Lars Ytting |
26 | ROELANDTS Jurgen |
27 | SIEBERG Marcel |
28 | BENOOT Tiesj |
BMC | |
31 | VAN AVERMAET Greg |
32 | DRUCKER Jean Pierre |
33 | OSS Daniel |
34 | PHINNEY Taylor |
35 | QUINZIATO Manuel |
36 | SCHÄR Michael |
37 | BURGHARDT Marcus |
38 | ZABEL Rick |
KATUSHA | |
41 | KRISTOFF Alexander |
42 | HALLER Marco |
43 | BYSTROM Sven Erik |
44 | GUARNIERI Jacopo |
45 | LAGUTIN Sergey |
46 | MORKOV Michael |
47 | KUZNETSOV Vyacheslav |
48 | PORSEV Alexander |
TREK-SEGAFREDO | |
51 | CANCELLARA Fabian |
52 | BEPPU Fumiyuki |
53 | BONIFAZIO Niccolo |
54 | NIZZOLO Giacomo |
55 | POPOVYCH Yaroslav |
56 | RAST Grégory |
57 | THEUNS Edward |
58 | COLEDAN Marco |
LOTTO NL - JUMBO | |
61 | VANMARCKE Sep |
62 | TANKINK Bram |
63 | TEUNISSEN Mike |
64 | TJALLINGII Maarten |
65 | VAN ASBROECK Tom |
66 | VAN EMDEN Jos |
67 | LEEZER Tom |
68 | WAGNER Robert |
DIMENSION DATA | |
71 | BOASSON HAGEN Edvald |
72 | BRAMMEIER Matthew |
73 | JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reinardt |
74 | DOUGALL Nick |
75 | FARRAR Tyler |
76 | DEBESAY Mekseb Abrha |
77 | RENSHAW Mark |
78 | THOMSON Jay Robert |
AG2R LA MONDIALE | |
81 | BAGDONAS Gediminas |
82 | DANIEL Maxime |
83 | DENZ Nico |
84 | GAUDIN Damien |
85 | GOUGEARD Alexis |
86 | HOULE Hugo |
87 | JAUREGUI Quentin |
88 | TURGOT Sébastien |
ASTANA | |
91 | DE VREESE Laurens |
92 | BOOM Lars |
93 | GRIVKO Andriy |
94 | GRUZDEV Dmitriy |
95 | WESTRA Lieuwe |
96 | KAMYSHEV Arman |
97 | LUTSENKO Alexey |
98 | SMUKULIS Gatis |
CANNONDALE | |
101 | BRESCHEL Matti |
102 | BETTIOL Alberto |
103 | BEVIN Patrick |
104 | BAUER Jack |
105 | LANGEVELD Sebastian |
106 | VAN BAARLE Dylan |
107 | WIPPERT Wouter |
108 | MARANGONI Alan |
FDJ | |
111 | DEMARE Arnaud |
112 | DELAGE Mickael |
113 | FISCHER Murilo Antonio |
114 | LE GAC Olivier |
115 | KONOVALOVAS Ignatas |
116 | LADAGNOUS Matthieu |
117 | LE BON Johan |
118 | OFFREDO Yohan |
IAM CYCLING | |
121 | HAUSSLER Heinrich |
122 | HOLLENSTEIN Reto |
123 | HOWARD Leigh |
124 | KLUGE Roger |
125 | LAENGEN Vegard Stake |
126 | PELLAUD Simon |
127 | NAESEN Oliver |
128 | SARAMOTINS Aleksejs |
LAMPRE - MERIDA | |
131 | CATTANEO Mattia |
132 | XU Gang |
133 | FENG Chun Kai |
134 | FERRARI Roberto |
135 | KUMP Marko |
136 | MODOLO Sacha |
137 | PIBERNIK Luka |
138 | ZURLO Federico |
MOVISTAR | |
141 | AMADOR Andrey |
142 | ARCAS Jorge |
143 | BETANCUR Carlos Alberto |
144 | SANTOS SIMOES Nelson Filipe |
145 | PEDRERO Antonio |
146 | LOBATO Juan Jose |
147 | SÜTTERLIN Jasha |
148 | VENTOSO Francisco José |
GIANT-ALPECIN | |
151 | ANDERSEN Søren Kragh |
152 | CURVERS Roy |
153 | DE BACKER Bert |
154 | DE KORT Koen |
155 | SINKELDAM Ramon |
156 | STAMSNIJDER Tom |
157 | TIMMER Albert |
158 | WAEYTENS Zico |
ORICA GREENEDGE | |
161 | KEUKELEIRE Jens |
162 | DOCKER Mitchell |
163 | DURBRIDGE Luke |
165 | BEWLEY Sam |
166 | MEZGEC Luka |
167 | CORT NIELSEN Magnus |
168 | TUFT Svein |
SKY | |
171 | STANNARD Ian |
172 | GOLAS Michal |
173 | KNEES Christian |
174 | PUCCIO Salvatore |
175 | ROWE Luke |
176 | FENN Andrew |
177 | VAN POPPEL Danny |
178 | VIVIANI Elia |
TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN | |
181 | VAN HECKE Preben |
182 | HELVEN Sander |
183 | RICKAERT Jonas |
184 | CAPIOT Amaury |
185 | VAN HOECKE Gijs |
186 | VAN LERBERGHE Bert |
187 | VAN MEIRHAEGHE Jef |
188 | VANSPEYBROUCK Pieter |
WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT | |
191 | DE HAES Kenny |
192 | DEMOITIE Antoine |
193 | ANTONINI Simone |
194 | DEVRIENDT Tom |
195 | JANS Roy |
196 | MARCATO Marco |
197 | MCNALLY Mark |
198 | NAPOLITANO Danilo |
BARDIANI CSF | |
201 | STERBINI Luca |
202 | TONELLI Alessandro |
203 | BOEM Nicola |
204 | COLBRELLI Sonny |
205 | MAESTRI Mirco |
206 | ROTA Lorenzo |
207 | RUFFONI Nicola |
208 | SIMION Paolo |
CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | |
211 | KIENDYS Tomasz |
212 | KUREK Adrian |
213 | PALUTA Michal |
214 | MARYCZ Jaroslaw |
215 | MATYSIAK Bartlomiej |
216 | CERNY Josef |
217 | STEPNIAK Grzegorz |
218 | PONZI Simone |
COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CRÉDITS | |
221 | AHLSTRAND Jonas |
222 | VAN STAEYEN Michael |
223 | HOFSTETTER Hugo |
224 | BOUHANNI Nacer |
225 | LAPORTE Christophe |
226 | LEMOINE Cyril |
227 | SENECHAL Florian |
228 | VAN BILSEN Kenneth |
DIRECT ENERGIE | |
231 | CARDIS Romain |
232 | CHAVANEL Sylvain |
233 | COQUARD Bryan |
234 | GENE Yohann |
235 | HUREL Tony |
236 | MORICE Julien |
237 | PETIT Adrien |
238 | TULIK Angelo |
ROOMPOT ORANJE PELOTON | |
241 | ASSELMAN Jesper |
242 | DE VRIES Berden |
243 | KERKHOF Tim |
244 | KREDER Raymond |
245 | KREDER Wesley |
246 | LOOIJ André |
247 | SLIK Ivar |
248 | MARKUS Barry |