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'' |