2017 Dwars Door Vlaanderen (WorldTour), Belgium
A travers la Flandre - Across Flanders
72nd edition: Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Dwars door Vlaanderen podium history | 2016 edition | 2018 edition | Course map
Roeselare - Waregem, 203.3 km
Yves Lampaert wins a big one
The race: Here's the report from winner Yves Lampaert's Quick Step team.
Quick-Step Floors owned the 72nd edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen, which this year made its debut in the World Tour calendar, taking 1-2 in Waregem with Yves Lampaert and Philippe Gilbert. Our team stamped its authority on the Belgian classic right from the beginning, when powerhouse Tim Declercq hit the front of the peloton and put in some mammoth turns, thus bringing down the advantage of the six men who managed to escap the clutches of the bunch after 20 kilometers.
Belgian Champion Philippe Gilbert, who was racing Dwars door Vlaanderen for the first time since 2004, instigated a move with 78 kilometers to go on Berendries, forcing a selection which saw around 20 riders extricating themselves from the peloton and establishing a 30-second lead. Behind, Cannondale-Drapac, FDJ and Trek-Segafredo led the chase, but their effort was to no avail, as Gilbert and Yves Lampaert, who too was part of the group, worked hard to keep them at bay.
On Eikenberg, Yves attacked, and even though he was reeled in over the top of the climb, his action still produced some damage, as the front group was reduced to 12 men. At one point, it looked like the peloton will come back, with the gap dropping to 20 seconds, but the same Quick-Step Floors riders ensured the move will stick, and as a result they tackled the Oude Kwaremont with a 40-second lead.
It was on the steep and brutal Paterberg that Philippe showed his class and put the hammer down, taking with him only three riders: Yves, Luke Durbridge (Orica-Scott) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana). Behind, the peloton got fragmented and Zdenek Stybar and Niki Terpstra took advantage of this and of the tough terrain to go in pursuit of the first chasing group, to which they bridged inside the last 25 kilometers.
Final climb of the day – Nokereberg – had the Belgian Champion in the spotlight, as he pulled clear over the top of the hill and opened a five-second gap before the others came back on his wheel. Herlegemstraat was the race's last hurdle, and on the long cobblestone stretch Yves struck a move which left Durbridge and Lutsenko speechless. In the blink of an eye, the advantage grew to 30 seconds, and long before "Lampy" went under the flamme rouge it became clear he'll nab his biggest victory since turning pro.
Philippe Gilbert led home the chasers, making it a memorable 1-2 for Quick-Step Floors at Dwars door Vlaanderen and taking the outfit managed by Patrick Lefevere at the top of the World Tour standings after nine events.
"To win a World Tour classic in the Quick-Step Floors kit gives me an amazing feeling. I can't tell you how happy I am for myself and for the team. Together with Philippe, who proved again today what a huge champion he is, we did a superb job", said Yves Lampaert after his maiden World Tour victory, one which came not far from his home.
The 25-year-old Belgian, now in his third season with Quick-Step Floors, talked us through the closing kilometers of Wednesday's race: "We had the strength in numbers and this played in our advantage. When I attacked, I wasn't sure I will open a gap, despite feeling strong, but I noticed they couldn't bridge across and that gave me confidence. The final kilometers of the race were like a short and tough time trial, but I gave everything. To win Dwars door Vlaanderen is a dream come true, especially as I did this together with such a fantastic team and in front of so many supporters!"
This was for the first time since 2012 that Quick-Step Floors nabbed the top two positions in a Belgian race. Back then, it happened at the same Dwars door Vlaanderen, with Niki Terpstra and Sylvain Chavanel. Now, it was Philippe Gilbert who made the team's day perfect, by sprinting to second from the chasing group.
"We were always on the front today. After the selection I made on Berendries, some guys in the group started to sit in, so we decided to go again, this time on Eikenberg. On Paterberg, we were first and second at the bottom of the climb and went full gas. Behind, Styby and Niki did a great job and helped us stretch out our advantage to one minute", said Philippe after the race. "By Nokereberg, we knew this was enough to win, so our plan was to attack there, and after they caught me, it was Yves' turn to follow up with a move. He made it all the way to the finish and I'm very happy for him and the team, this is a big day for us!"
Complete Results:
203.3 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.438 km/hr
| 1 | Yves LAMPAERT | Quick-Step | 4hr 47min 26sec |
| 2 | Philippe GILBERT | Quick-Step | @ 39sec |
| 3 | Alexey LUTSENKO | Astana | s.t. |
| 4 | Luke DURBRIDGE | Orica-Scott | s.t. |
| 5 | Dylan GROENEWEGEN | Lotto NL-Jumbo | @ 1min 3sec |
| 6 | Oliver NAESEN | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 7 | Tiesj BENOOT | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 8 | Dylan VAN BAARLE | Cannondale Drapac | s.t. |
| 9 | Mitch DOCKER | Orica-Scott | s.t. |
| 10 | Florian SENECHAL | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 11 | Tony GALLOPIN | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 12 | Matti BRESCHEL | Astana | s.t. |
| 13 | Maxime VANTOMME | WB Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 14 | Jean-Pierre DRUCKER | BMC | s.t. |
| 15 | Lukas PÖSTLBERGER | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 16 | Mike TEUNISSEN | Sunweb | s.t. |
| 17 | Stefan KÜNG | BMC | s.t. |
| 18 | Baptiste PLANCKAERT | Katusha Alpecin | s.t. |
| 19 | Sebastian LANGEVELD | Cannondale Drapac | s.t. |
| 20 | Marco MARCATO | UAE Abu Dhabi | s.t. |
| 21 | Zdenek ŠTYBAR | Quick-Step | s.t. |
| 22 | Maarten WYNANTS | Lotto NL-Jumbo | s.t. |
| 23 | Loïc VLIEGEN | BMC | s.t. |
| 24 | Reto HOLLENSTEIN | Katusha Alpecin | s.t. |
| 25 | Niki TERPSTRA | Quick-Step | +1:08 |
| 26 | Gijs VAN HOECKE | Lotto NL-Jumbo | s.t. |
| 27 | Mathew HAYMAN | Orica-Scott | s.t. |
| 28 | Sep VANMARCKE | Cannondale Drapac | +1:35 |
| 29 | Jelle WALLAYS | Lotto Soudal | +1:51 |
| 30 | Michael MATTHEWS | Sunweb | +1:54 |
| 31 | Edward THEUNS | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 32 | Sam BENNETT | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 33 | Pieter VANSPEYBROUCK | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 34 | Zakkari DEMPSTER | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 35 | Tom VAN ASBROECK | Cannondale Drapac | s.t. |
| 36 | Raymond KREDER | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 37 | Roy JANS | WB Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 38 | Arnaud DEMARE | FDJ | s.t. |
| 39 | Bryan COQUARD | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 40 | Bert VAN LERBERGHE | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 41 | Rudy BARBIER | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 42 | Guillaume VAN KEIRSBULCK | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 43 | Sacha MODOLO | UAE Abu Dhabi | s.t. |
| 44 | Jasper DE BUYST | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 45 | Ramon SINKELDAM | Sunweb | s.t. |
| 46 | Laurens DE VREESE | Astana | s.t. |
| 47 | Nikolas MAES | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 48 | Jasha SÜTTERLIN | Movistar | s.t. |
| 49 | Christophe LAPORTE | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 50 | Yoann OFFREDO | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 51 | Matthieu LADAGNOUS | FDJ | s.t. |
| 52 | Nils POLITT | Katusha Alpecin | s.t. |
| 53 | Sonny COLBRELLI | Bahrain-Merida | s.t. |
| 54 | Gediminas BAGDONAS | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 55 | Pim LIGTHART | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 56 | Luka PIBERNIK | Bahrain-Merida | s.t. |
| 57 | Iljo KEISSE | Quick-Step | s.t. |
| 58 | Roger KLUGE | Orica-Scott | s.t. |
| 59 | Frederik BACKAERT | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 60 | Kenneth VAN ROOY | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 61 | Maxime FARAZIJN | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 62 | Hugo HOULE | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 63 | Truls KORSÆTH | Astana | s.t. |
| 64 | Marko KUMP | UAE Abu Dhabi | s.t. |
| 65 | Huub DUYN | Veranda's Willems-Crelan | s.t. |
| 66 | Kevin ISTA | WB Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 67 | Martin ELMIGER | BMC | s.t. |
| 68 | Alexandre PICHOT | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 69 | Bert DE BACKER | Sunweb | s.t. |
| 70 | Stijn DEVOLDER | Veranda's Willems-Crelan | s.t. |
| 71 | Jurgen ROELANDTS | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 72 | Adrien PETIT | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 73 | Preben VAN HECKE | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 74 | Christopher JUUL JENSEN | Orica-Scott | s.t. |
| 75 | Edward PLANCKAERT | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 76 | Vegard Stake LAENGEN | UAE Abu Dhabi | s.t. |
| 77 | Oscar GATTO | Astana | s.t. |
| 78 | Jens DEBUSSCHERE | Lotto Soudal | +2:02 |
| 79 | Lars BOOM | Lotto NL-Jumbo | s.t. |
| 80 | Alberto BETTIOL | Cannondale Drapac | s.t. |
| 81 | Fabio FELLINE | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 82 | Dylan TEUNS | BMC | s.t. |
| 83 | Jens KEUKELEIRE | Orica-Scott | s.t. |
| 84 | Cyril LEMOINE | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 85 | Sylvain CHAVANEL | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 86 | Dries DEVENYNS | Quick-Step | s.t. |
| 87 | Dmitriy GRUZDEV | Astana | s.t. |
| 88 | Dimitri CLAEYS | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 89 | Borut BOZIC | Bahrain-Merida | s.t. |
| 90 | Fernando GAVIRIA | Quick-Step | s.t. |
| 91 | Aleksejs SARAMOTINS | Bora-hansgrohe | +2:08 |
| 92 | Simone CONSONNI | UAE Abu Dhabi | s.t. |
| 93 | Rüdiger SELIG | Bora-hansgrohe | +2:13 |
| 94 | Ivan GARCIA CORTINA | Bahrain-Merida | +4:32 |
| 95 | Twan CASTELIJNS | Lotto NL-Jumbo | s.t. |
| 96 | Marco COLEDAN | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 97 | Francisco Jose VENTOSO | BMC | s.t. |
| 98 | Jimmy TURGIS | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 99 | Mads Würtz SCHMIDT | Katusha Alpecin | s.t. |
| 100 | Igor BOEV | Gazprom-Rusvelo | s.t. |
| 101 | Guillaume BOIVIN | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 102 | Dennis VAN WINDEN | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 103 | Carlos BARBERO CUESTA | Movistar | s.t. |
| 104 | Aleksei TCATEVICH | Gazprom-Rusvelo | s.t. |
| 105 | Kenneth VANBILSEN | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 106 | Jorge ARCAS PEÑA | Movistar | s.t. |
| 107 | Christoph PFINGSTEN | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 108 | Nuno MATOS | Movistar | s.t. |
| 109 | Taco VAN DER HOORN | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 110 | Loic CHETOUT | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 111 | Dries DE BONDT | Veranda's Willems-Crelan | s.t. |
| 112 | Ryan MULLEN | Cannondale Drapac | s.t. |
| 113 | Juraj SAGAN | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 114 | Simone ANTONINI | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 115 | Ryan ANDERSON | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 116 | Nans PETERS | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 117 | Romain CARDIS | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 118 | Jenthe BIERMANS | Katusha Alpecin | s.t. |
| 119 | Mickael DELAGE | FDJ | s.t. |
| 120 | Olivier LE GAC | FDJ | s.t. |
| 121 | Ruslan TLEUBAYEV | Astana | s.t. |
| 122 | Krists NEILANDS | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 123 | Mihkel RÄIM | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 124 | Daniel TUREK | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 125 | Marcel SIEBERG | Lotto Soudal | s.t. |
| 126 | Alex KIRSCH | WB Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 127 | Julien STASSEN | WB Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 128 | Alexander PORSEV | Gazprom-Rusvelo | s.t. |
| 129 | Boy VAN POPPEL | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 130 | Wesley KREDER | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 131 | Carlos Alberto BETANCUR | Movistar | s.t. |
| 132 | Tom SCULLY | Cannondale Drapac | s.t. |
| 133 | Timo ROOSEN | Lotto NL-Jumbo | s.t. |
| 134 | Héctor CARRETERO | Movistar | s.t. |
| 135 | Jérôme BAUGNIES | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 136 | Coen VERMELTFOORT | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 137 | Tom STAMSNIJDER | Sunweb | s.t. |
| 138 | Antonio PEDRERO LOPEZ | Movistar | +6:41 |
| 139 | Federico ZURLO | UAE Abu Dhabi | s.t. |
| 140 | Amund Grondahl JANSEN | Lotto NL-Jumbo | +7:53 |
| 141 | Floris GERFS | BMC | +8:44 |
| 142 | Andrea GUARDINI | UAE Abu Dhabi | s.t. |
| 143 | Michaël VAN STAEYEN | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 144 | Tim DECLERCQ | Quick-Step | s.t. |
| 145 | Robert Thomas WAGNER | Lotto NL-Jumbo | s.t. |
| 146 | Sander CORDEEL | Veranda's Willems-Crelan | s.t. |
| 147 | Tom BOHLI | BMC | s.t. |
| 148 | Kevin DELTOMBE | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 149 | Riccardo MINALI | Astana | s.t. |
| 150 | Mads PEDERSEN | Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 151 | Brian VAN GOETHEM | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 152 | Oliviero TROIA | UAE Abu Dhabi | s.t. |
| 153 | Jonas RICKAERT | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 154 | Zico WAEYTENS | Sunweb | s.t. |
| 155 | Pavel BRUTT | Gazprom-Rusvelo | +10:21 |
| 156 | Yohann GENE | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 157 | Nico DENZ | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 158 | Nikolay TRUSOV | Gazprom-Rusvelo | s.t. |
| 159 | Erik BASKA | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 160 | Jesper ASSELMAN | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 161 | Dayer Uberney QUINTANA | Movistar | s.t. |
| 162 | NICCOLO' BONIFAZIO | Bahrain-Merida | s.t. |
