2016 Grand Prix de Wallonie (1.1), Belgium

57th edition: Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Grand Prix de Wallonie podium history | 2015 edition | 2017 edition | Race map and profile

De Beaufays (Chaudfontaine) - La Citadelle de Namur, 205.5 km

Tony Gallopin wins 2016 GP Wallonie just ahead of Petr Vakoc

The Race: Winner Tony Gallopin's Lotto-Soudal team sent me this summary.

The start of the 57th edition of the Grand Prix de Wallonie was given under the blazing sun in Beaufays. The nine leaders of the race enjoyed a maximum advantage of almost six minutes. Lotto Soudal and Etixx – Quick-Step took the responsibility to control the peloton and chase down the nine riders in front. The leading group was reeled in on the Côte de Lustin and that’s where the finale started. On the next climb a new series of attacks wed out the peloton and seven riders managed to get away.

Tony Gallopin represented Lotto Soudal in the front group. They stayed away until the foot of the Côte de la Citadelle de Namur. Tiesj Benoot and Tony Gallopin rode attentively at the front of the peloton and when several riders attacked, Gallopin reacted. He set a high pace and dropped the others. It looked like he was riding solo to the finish line, but with fifty metres to go, Vakoc came really close. In the sprint the Frenchman of Lotto Soudal won just ahead of the Czech rider. This victory is the first one for Gallopin in 2016.

Tony Gallopin: “The team did a perfect job today. All day long we were positioned on the first rows of the peloton chasing down the front group. The attack on the second last climb of the race was a good starting point. We were with seven good riders and we managed to create a small gap pretty fast. Bakelants was very good today. He was the one that set up the breakaway and his teammate Pozzovivo was among us as well. We worked together but it wasn’t perfect. That’s the reason why we were reeled in at the foot of the citadel. When we were caught by the peloton I had a moment to recover. I found my own pace and I moved up to the fifteenth position. The further we went uphill, the better I felt and the better I was positioned in the bunch. At a certain moment I felt ready to attack once again and I gave everything I had. Two years ago I finished second on the citadel. This climb suits me very well. In the last fifty metres Vakoc came really close and the stress was getting to me. Fortunately I went fast enough to bring home the victory.”

“The team gave me permission to change my programme because I wanted to focus on the European Championships that are coming up this Sunday. That’s why I didn’t participate in the races in Canada. Instead I chose to ride the Tour of Britain before I came here for the Grand Prix de Wallonie. It feels really good to know that the team trusts me. In the Tour of Britain I felt better every day. I hoped to win a stage there, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. But my focus is on Sunday, that’s when I want to be really good.”

Complete Results:

205.5 kilometers raced at an average speed of 40.257 km/hr

1	Tony Gallopin	Lotto-Soudal	5hr 6min 17sec
2	Petr Vakoc	Etixx-Quick Step	s.t.
3	Jérôme Baugnies	Wanty-Groupe Gobert	@ 1sec
4	Huub Duyn	Roompot Oranje Peloton	s.t.
5	Nicolas Edet	Cofidis	s.t.
6	Tiesj Benoot	Lotto-Soudal	@ 4sec
7	Baptiste Planckaert	Wallonie Bruxelles	s.t.
8	Rasmus Guldhammer	Stölting	s.t.
9	Jonathan Hivert	Fortuneo Vital Concept	s.t.
10	Fabian Wegmann	Stölting	s.t.
11	Jan Bakelants	Ag2r	s.t.
12	Sébastien Reichenbach	FDJ	s.t.
13	Tim Declercq	Topsport Vlaanderen	s.t.
14	Pieter Weening	Roompot Oranje Peloton	+10''
15	Julien Antomarchi	Roubaix Metropole	+12''
16	Sjoerd van Ginneken	Roompot Oranje Peloton	+17''
17	Domenico Pozzovivo	Ag2r	s.t.
18	Jimmy Turgis	Roubaix Metropole	s.t.
19	Dimitri Peyskens	Veranclassic	s.t.
20	Eliot Lietaer	Topsport Vlaanderen	+22''
21	Hubert Dupont	Ag2r	s.t.
22	Gaetan Bille	Wanty-Groupe Gobert	s.t.
23	Larry Warbasse	IAM Cycling	s.t.
24	Fabien Doubey	FDJ	s.t.
25	Rémy Rochas	Ag2r	+28''
26	Rayane Bouhanni	Cofidis	+40''
27	Kevyn Ista	Wallonie Bruxelles	+43''
28	Axel Flet	Veranclassic	+59''
29	Anthony Delaplace	Fortuneo Vital Concept	+1' 02''
30	Clément Chevrier	IAM Cycling	+1' 13''
31	Thomas Sprengers	Topsport Vlaanderen	s.t.
32	Frederik Backaert	Wanty-Groupe Gobert	+1' 25''
33	Julien Vermote	Etixx-Quick Step	s.t.
34	Xandro Meurisse	Wanty-Groupe Gobert	+1' 45''
35	Dimitri Claeys	Wanty-Groupe Gobert	s.t.
36	Nick van der Lijke	Roompot Oranje Peloton	s.t.
37	Benoît Vaugrenard	FDJ	+1' 49''
38	Arjen Livyns	Veranda's Willems	+2' 46''
39	Gordon De Winter	Color Code	+3' 51''
40	Brecht Dhaene	Veranda's Willems	+4' 05''
41	Antoine Warnier	Wallonie Bruxelles	s.t.
42	Christophe Masson	Veranclassic	s.t.
43	Floris De Tier	Topsport Vlaanderen	s.t.
44	Arnaud Gérard	Fortuneo Vital Concept	s.t.
45	Thomas Degand	Wanty-Groupe Gobert	s.t.
46	Dennis Coenen	Crelan-Vastgoedservice	s.t.
47	Vegard Breen	Fortuneo Vital Concept	s.t.
48	Guillaume Martin	Wanty-Groupe Gobert	s.t.
49	Stefan Denifl	IAM Cycling	+4' 19''
50	Preben Van Hecke	Topsport Vlaanderen	+5' 16''
51	Maximilien Picoux	Color Code	+5' 20''
52	Pirmin Lang	IAM Cycling	+5' 56''
53	Marcel Aregger	IAM Cycling	s.t.
54	Florent Pereira	Roubaix Metropole	s.t.
55	Jérémy Leveau	Roubaix Metropole	s.t.
56	Benoît Cosnefroy	Ag2r	s.t.
57	Arnold Jeannesson	Cofidis	+6' 30''
58	Julien Mortier	Color Code	+6' 55''
59	Marvin Tasset	Color Code	s.t.
60	Sébastien Carabin	T. Palm	+7' 44''
61	Sander Armée	Lotto-Soudal	+8' 27''
62	Jelle Vanendert	Lotto-Soudal	s.t.
63	Fernando Gaviria	Etixx-Quick Step	s.t.
64	Michael Reihs	Stölting	s.t.
65	Sam Lennertz	Veranclassic	s.t.
66	Anthony Perez	Cofidis	+9' 13''
67	Christophe Laporte	Cofidis	s.t.
68	Dorian Godon	Cofidis	+9' 18''
69	Adrien Costa	Etixx-Quick Step	s.t.
70	Cédric Pineau	FDJ	s.t.
71	Antoine Loy	Color Code	s.t.
72	Tomas Petit	T. Palm	+10' 05''
73	Ludwig De Winter	Wallonie Bruxelles	s.t.
74	Michel Kreder	Roompot Oranje Peloton	+10' 36''
75	Félix Pouilly	Roubaix Metropole	s.t.
76	Gerry Druyts	Crelan-Vastgoedservice	+12' 52''
77	Dieter Bouvry	Roubaix Metropole	+13' 54''
78	Maxime Vantomme	Roubaix Metropole	s.t.
79	Charlie Arimont	Color Code	s.t.
80	Kevin Van Melsen	Wanty-Groupe Gobert	s.t.
81	Julien Van den Brande	Veranclassic	s.t.
82	Johan Hemroulle	Color Code	s.t.
83	Auxence Buntinx	T. Palm	s.t.
84	Pieter Jacobs	Crelan-Vastgoedservice	s.t.
85	Dries Van Gestel	Topsport Vlaanderen	s.t.
86	Rob Ruijgh	Crelan-Vastgoedservice	s.t.
87	Gregory Habeaux	Wallonie Bruxelles	s.t.
88	Massimo Vanderaerden	Veranclassic	s.t.
89	Oliver Zaugg	IAM Cycling	s.t.
90	Reinier Honig	Roompot Oranje Peloton	s.t.
91	Joachim Vanreyten	Crelan-Vastgoedservice	s.t.
92	Ludovic Robeet	Color Code	s.t.
93	Iván García	Etixx-Quick Step	s.t.
94	Christian Mager	Stölting	s.t.
95	Sven Reutter	Stölting	s.t.
96	Thomas Koep	Stölting	s.t.
97	Steven Tronet	Fortuneo Vital Concept	s.t.
98	Jean-Marc Bideau	Fortuneo Vital Concept	s.t.
99	Tom Dernies	Wallonie Bruxelles	s.t.
100	Moritz Backofen	Stölting	s.t.
101	Aleksejs Saramotins	IAM Cycling	s.t.
102	Franck Bonnamour	Fortuneo Vital Concept	s.t.
103	Maurits Lammertink	Roompot Oranje Peloton	s.t.
104	Gert Jõeäär	Cofidis	s.t.
105	Kenny De Ketele	Topsport Vlaanderen	s.t.
106	Stef Van Zummeren	Veranda's Willems	s.t.
107	Aimé De Gendt	Topsport Vlaanderen	s.t.
108	Greg Henderson	Lotto-Soudal	s.t.
109	Guillaume Delvaux	T. Palm	+15' 56''
110	Tim Wellens	Lotto-Soudal	+16' 02''
111	Sander Cordeel	Veranda's Willems	s.t.
112	Guillaume Haag	T. Palm	s.t.
113	Tim De Troyer	Veranda's Willems	s.t.
114	Nicolas Mertz	T. Palm	s.t.
115	Wesley Kreder	Roompot Oranje Peloton	s.t.
116	Victor Van Bost	T. Palm	s.t.
117	Davide Martinelli	Etixx-Quick Step	s.t.
118	Rodrigo Contreras	Etixx-Quick Step	s.t.
119	Dylan Kowalski	Roubaix Metropole	s.t.
120	Kevin Deltombe	Lotto-Soudal	+16' 20''
121	Johan Le Bon	FDJ	+16' 42''

2016 GP Wallonie profile and map: