2018 Danilith Nokere Koerse (HC), Belgium
73rd edition: Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Nokere Koerse podium history | 2017 edition | 2019 edition | Start list
Deinze - Nokere, 191.1 km
Fabio Jakobsen wins in Nokere.
Weather at the finish city of Nokere at 1:15 PM, local time: Partly cloudy, 12C (53F), with the wind from the SSE at 21 km/hr (13 mph). No rain was forecast.
The race: Here's the report from winner Fabio Jakobsen's Quick-Step team.
21-year-old Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen capitalized on Quick-Step Floors' perfect work in Nokere Koerse and netted the team's 14th victory of the season.
"Quick-Step Floors is the perfect team for me! It formed a lot of champions and I'm confident they will help me grow and become better. It's the right place to be in and I hope to repay the confidence showed by taking a victory next season, although I know it won't be easy" – these were the words of Fabio Jakobsen at the first team camp last winter, when asked about his transfer to Quick-Step Floors, the most victorious squad in each of the past six years.
Fabio – a rider who made a name for himself in the U23 ranks thanks to back-to-back national titles and a stage win at the Tour de l'Avenir – needed only 14 days of racing to claim his maiden victory, and when he did it, it was in spectacular fashion, at the Nokere Koerse semi-classic (191.1 kilometers), a race which this year put on the table a revamped course, much harder than in the past, with a total of 22 cobbled sectors and eight ascents of the Nokereberg climb.
After taking the victory in the previous two races of the Belgian Cup, Le Samyn and Dwars door West-Vlaanderen, Quick-Step Floors was again in the spotlight, first by controlling the eight-man break which opened a ten-minute lead and then by infiltrating two riders – Florian Sénéchal and Pieter Serry – in a dangerous groups that went clear with 30 kilometers to go.
The race begins.
As that move didn't stick, the race came back together for the final ten kilometers, when the same incredible Sénéchal, together with a strong and attentive Davide Martinelli, covered every single attack, ensuring it all came down to a bunch sprint, which Fabio Jakobsen won with a perfectly-timed acceleration, after putting in a fantastic turn of speed that couldn't be matched by any of his opponents, who were all left trailing on the uphill finish in Nokere.
"Our goal from the start of the race was to win, because we had many guys in the team capable of taking the victory. The course was harder this year, but that didn't stop up from shaping and controlling the race. When Florian and Pieter went in the final hour of racing, I was in the peloton and decided to save energy in case they got caught, as I was feeling good", Fabio said after beating Amaury Capiot (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Hugo Hofstetter (Cofidis).
The 21-year-old – the seventh Quick-Step Floors rider to notch up a win this season and the first Dutch rider in over a decade to triumph at Nokere Koerse – continued: "The entire team did an amazing job today, Davide and Florian kept a high speed in the end, reeling in the late attackers, and I took the last corner on the inside, knowing this would increase my chances. On the last straight, I just gave everything and when I saw there wasn't anyone near me, I began celebrating. It's one of the best days of my life so far! I can't tell you how happy I am to get my first pro win and how much confidence it gives me for the next races."
Complete Results:
191.1 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.010 km/hr
| 1 | Fabio Jakobsen | Quick-Step Floors | 4hr 32min 56sec |
| 2 | Amaury Capiot | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 3 | Hugo Hofstetter | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 4 | Roy Jans | Cibel-Cebon | s.t. |
| 5 | Andrew Fenn | Aqua Blue Sport | s.t. |
| 6 | Baptiste Planckaert | Katusha-Alpecin | s.t. |
| 7 | Zakkari Dempster | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 8 | Sean De Bie | Veranda's Willems-Crelan | s.t. |
| 9 | Maxime Vantomme | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 10 | Kamil Gradek | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
| 11 | Leonardo Basso | Sky | s.t. |
| 12 | Loïc Vliegen | BMC | s.t. |
| 13 | Bryan Coquard | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 14 | Jasper Philipsen | Hagens Berman-Axeon | s.t. |
| 15 | Lawrence Naesen | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
| 16 | Jimmy Turgis | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 17 | Floris Gerts | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 18 | Christoph Pfingsten | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 19 | Romain Cardis | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 20 | Bert De Backer | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 21 | Reto Hollenstein | Katusha-Alpecin | s.t. |
| 22 | Jenthe Biermans | Katusha-Alpecin | s.t. |
| 23 | Frederik Frison | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
| 24 | Rui Oliveira | Hagens Berman-Axeon | s.t. |
| 25 | Pieter Serry | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 26 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 27 | Dries Van Gestel | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 28 | Pascal Ackermann | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 29 | Julien Stassen | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | @ 6sec |
| 30 | Luke Rowe | Sky | +12'' |
| 31 | Frederik Backaert | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | +18'' |
| 32 | Wout van Aert | Veranda's Willems-Crelan | +26'' |
| 33 | Florian Sénéchal | Quick-Step Floors | +38'' |
| 34 | Davide Martinelli | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 35 | Tanner Putt | UnitedHealthcare | +40'' |
| 36 | Huub Duyn | Veranda's Willems-Crelan | +45'' |
| 37 | Michal Kolár | Bora-hansgrohe | +47'' |
| 38 | Edward Theuns | Team Sunweb | +54'' |
| 39 | Christian Knees | Sky | s.t. |
| 40 | Ylber Sefa | Tarteletto-Isorex | +1' 02'' |
| 41 | Shane Archbold | Aqua Blue Sport | s.t. |
| 42 | Nathan Van Hooydonck | BMC | +1' 14'' |
| 43 | Kevin Deltombe | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 44 | Francisco Ventoso | BMC | s.t. |
| 45 | Matteo Pelucchi | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 46 | Rüdiger Selig | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 47 | Álvaro José Hodeg | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 48 | Kenneth Van Rooy | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 49 | Michael Goolaerts | Veranda's Willems-Crelan | s.t. |
| 50 | Rémi Cavagna | Quick-Step Floors | s.t. |
| 51 | Dennis Coenen | Cibel-Cebon | s.t. |
| 52 | Pawel Bernas | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | +1' 18'' |
| 53 | Jan-Willem van Schip | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 54 | Aimé De Gendt | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | s.t. |
| 55 | Sjoerd van Ginneken | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | s.t. |
| 56 | Coen Vermeltfoort | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | +1' 33'' |
| 57 | Joey Rosskopf | BMC | +1' 42'' |
| 58 | Jon Dibben | Sky | s.t. |
| 59 | Travis McCabe | UnitedHealthcare | s.t. |
| 60 | Tom Bohli | BMC | s.t. |
| 61 | Benjamin Perry | Israel Cycling Academy | +1' 47'' |
| 62 | Andreas Schillinger | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 63 | Thomas Sprengers | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | +2' 04'' |
| 64 | Yoann Offredo | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 65 | Timothy Dupont | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 66 | Sander Armée | Lotto-Soudal | s.t. |
| 67 | Peter Koning | Aqua Blue Sport | s.t. |
| 68 | Rob Ruijgh | Tarteletto-Isorex | s.t. |
| 69 | Kristoffer Halvorsen | Sky | s.t. |
| 70 | Martijn Budding | Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | +2' 06'' |
| 71 | Iuri Filosi | Delko-Marseille Provence | s.t. |
| 72 | Jérôme Baugnies | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 73 | Cesare Benedetti | Bora-hansgrohe | s.t. |
| 74 | Timothy Stevens | Cibel-Cebon | +2' 54'' |
| 75 | Michal Golas | Sky | s.t. |
| 76 | Daniel Turek | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 77 | Michael Van Staeyen | Cofidis | +2' 59'' |
| 78 | Maikel Zijlaard | Hagens Berman-Axeon | +3' 02'' |
| 79 | Rémy Mertz | Lotto-Soudal | +3' 15'' |
| 80 | Roy Goldstein | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 81 | Dion Smith | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 82 | David Boucher | Tarteletto-Isorex | s.t. |
| 83 | Niels De Rooze | Tarteletto-Isorex | s.t. |
| 84 | Lukas Spengler | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 85 | Moreno Hofland | Lotto-Soudal | +3' 22'' |
| 86 | Simon Sellier | Direct Energie | +3' 24'' |
| 87 | Edward Planckaert | Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | +3' 25'' |
| 88 | Johannes Fröhlinger | Team Sunweb | +3' 57'' |
| 89 | Martijn Tusveld | Team Sunweb | s.t. |
| 90 | František Sisr | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | s.t. |
| 91 | Polychronis Tzortzakis | Tarteletto-Isorex | +4' 45'' |
| 92 | Julien Morice | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 93 | Ivo Oliveira | Hagens Berman-Axeon | +5' 00'' |
| 94 | Alex Cataford | UnitedHealthcare | +5' 15'' |
| 95 | Jimmy Duquennoy | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | +5' 17'' |
| 96 | Bryan Nauleau | Direct Energie | +5' 19'' |
| 97 | Conor Dunne | Aqua Blue Sport | s.t. |
| 98 | Alex Kirsch | WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic | s.t. |
| 99 | Jonas Van Genechten | Vital Concept | +5' 23'' |
| 100 | Kenneth Vanbilsen | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 101 | Yannick Martinez | Delko-Marseille Provence | +5' 25'' |
| 102 | Kris Boeckmans | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 103 | Dorian Godon | Cofidis | +6' 06'' |
| 104 | João Almeida | Hagens Berman-Axeon | +6' 07'' |
| 105 | Jhonatan Restrepo | Katusha-Alpecin | s.t. |
| 106 | Aidis Kruopis | Veranda's Willems-Crelan | +6' 11'' |
| 107 | James Shaw | Lotto-Soudal | +6' 14'' |
| 108 | Jelle Mannaerts | Tarteletto-Isorex | +6' 59'' |
| 109 | Gatis Smukulis | Delko-Marseille Provence | s.t. |
| 110 | Michael Storer | Team Sunweb | +7' 01'' |
| 111 | Styn Debock | Cibel-Cebon | s.t. |
| 112 | Dieter Bouvry | Cibel-Cebon | s.t. |
| 113 | Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz | Delko-Marseille Provence | s.t. |
| 114 | Matt Brammeier | Aqua Blue Sport | s.t. |
| 115 | Daniel Eaton | UnitedHealthcare | s.t. |
| 116 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | +7' 04'' |
| 117 | Yohann Gène | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 118 | Alexandre Pichot | Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 119 | Damien Gaudin | Direct Energie | s.t. |
Start list with back numbers, March 13, 2018:
| COFIDIS | |
| 2 | GODON Dorian |
| 3 | HOFSTETTER Hugo |
| 4 | SOUPE Geoffrey |
| 5 | TURGIS Jimmy |
| 6 | VAN STAEYEN Michael |
| 7 | VANBILSEN Kenneth |
| BMC | |
| 12 | BOHLI Tom |
| 13 | ROSSKOPF Joey |
| 14 | SCOTSON Miles |
| 15 | VAN HOOYDONCK Nathan |
| 16 | VENTOSO Francisco José |
| 17 | VLIEGEN Loïc |
| QUICK-STEP FLOORS | |
| 21 | CAVAGNA Rémi |
| 22 | HODEG Álvaro José |
| 23 | JAKOBSEN Fabio |
| 24 | MARTINELLI Davide |
| 26 | SENECHAL Florian |
| 27 | SERRY Pieter |
| LOTTO-SOUDAL | |
| 31 | ARMEE Sander |
| 32 | FRISON Frederik |
| 33 | HOFLAND Moreno |
| 34 | MERTZ Rémy |
| 35 | NAESEN Lawrence |
| 36 | SHAW James Callum |
| BORA-HANSGROHE | |
| 41 | ACKERMANN Pascal |
| 42 | BENEDETTI Cesare |
| 43 | KOLAR Michal |
| 44 | PELUCCHI Matteo |
| 45 | PFINGSTEN Christoph |
| 46 | SCHILLINGER Andreas |
| 47 | SELIG Rüdiger |
| KATUSHA-ALPECIN | |
| 51 | BIERMANS Jenthe |
| 52 | HOLLENSTEIN Reto |
| 53 | MATHIS Marco |
| 54 | PLANCKAERT Baptiste |
| 55 | RESTREPO Jhonatan |
| 56 | WÜRTZ Mads |
| SKY | |
| 61 | BASSO Leonardo |
| 62 | DIBBEN Jonathan |
| 63 | KNEES Christian |
| 64 | GOLAS Michal |
| 65 | HALVORSEN Kristoffer |
| 66 | LAWLESS Christopher |
| 67 | ROWE Luke |
| TEAM SUNWEB | |
| 71 | THEUNS Edward |
| 72 | FROHLINGER Johannes |
| 74 | STAMSNIJDER Tom |
| 75 | STORER Michael |
| 76 | TUSVELD Martijn |
| 77 | WALSCHEID Max |
| AQUA BLUE SPORT | |
| 81 | ARCHBOLD Shane |
| 82 | BLYTHE Adam |
| 83 | DUNNE Conor |
| 84 | FENN Andrew |
| 85 | HANSEN Lasse Norman |
| 86 | KONING Peter |
| 87 | BRAMMEIER Matthew |
| SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE | |
| 91 | CAPIOT Amaury |
| 92 | DE GENDT Aimé |
| 93 | DELTOMBE Kevin |
| 94 | PLANCKAERT Edward |
| 95 | SPRENGERS Thomas |
| 96 | VAN GESTEL Dries |
| 97 | VAN ROOY Kenneth |
| WANTY–GROUPE GOBERT | |
| 101 | BACKAERT Frederik |
| 102 | BAUGNIES Jérôme |
| 103 | DUPONT Timothy |
| 104 | OFFREDO Yoann |
| 105 | SMITH Dion |
| 106 | VAN KEIRSBULCK Guillaume |
| 107 | VANSPEYBROUCK Pieter |
| VERANDA'S WILLEMS-CRELAN | |
| 111 | DE BIE Sean |
| 112 | VAN BREUSSEGEM Elias |
| 113 | GOOLAERTS Michael |
| 114 | DUYN Huub |
| 115 | KRUOPIS Aidis |
| 116 | VAN AERT Wout |
| 117 | WAEYTENS Zico |
| DELKO-MARSEILLE PROVENCE KTM | |
| 121 | FILOSI Iuri |
| 122 | JONES Brenton |
| 123 | KASPERKIEWICZ Przemyslaw |
| 124 | MARTINEZ Yannick |
| 125 | LEVEAU Jérémy |
| 126 | SMUKULIS Gatis |
| 127 | TRARIEUX Julien |
| CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE | |
| 131 | SISR Frantisek |
| 132 | BERNAS Pawel |
| 133 | STOSZ Patryk |
| 134 | GRADEK Kamil |
| 135 | KOCH Jonas |
| 136 | KUREK Adrian |
| 137 | MALECKI Kamil |
| DIRECT ENERGIE | |
| 141 | CARDIS Romain |
| 142 | GAUDIN Damien |
| 143 | GENE Yohann |
| 144 | NAULEAU Bryan |
| 145 | PETIT Adrien |
| 146 | PICHOT Alexandre |
| 147 | SELLIER Simon |
| ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | |
| 151 | GERTS Floris |
| 152 | BUDDING Martijn |
| 153 | LIGTHART Pim |
| 154 | REINDERS Elmar |
| 155 | VAN GINNEKEN Sjoerd |
| 156 | VAN SCHIP Jan Willem |
| 157 | VERMELTFOORT Coen |
| VITAL CONCEPT | |
| 161 | BOECKMANS Kris |
| 162 | COQUARD Bryan |
| 163 | DE BACKER Bert |
| 164 | LECROQ Jérémy |
| 165 | MORICE Julien |
| 166 | TURGIS Tanguy |
| 167 | VAN GENECHTEN Jonas |
| ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | |
| 171 | DEMPSTER Zakkari |
| 172 | GOLDSTEIN Omer |
| 173 | PERRY Benjamin |
| 174 | GEBREMEDHIN Awet |
| 175 | SCHREURS Hamish |
| 176 | TUREK Daniel |
| HAGENS BERMAN-AXEON | |
| 181 | ALMEIDA João |
| 182 | BJERG Mikkel |
| 183 | OLIVEIRA Ivo |
| 184 | OLIVEIRA Rui |
| 185 | PHILIPSEN Jasper |
| 186 | RICE Michael |
| 187 | ZIJLAARD Maikel |
| UNITEDHEALTHCARE | |
| 191 | ALZATE Carlos Eduardo |
| 192 | CATAFORD Alexander |
| 193 | EATON Daniel |
| 194 | HEGYVARY Adrian |
| 195 | MARCOTTE Eric |
| 196 | MCCABE Travis |
| 197 | PUTT Tanner |
| WB-AQUA PROTECT-VERANCLASSIC | |
| 201 | DE WINTER Ludwig |
| 202 | DEHAES Kenny |
| 203 | DUQUENNOY Jimmy |
| 204 | KIRSCH Alex |
| 205 | STASSEN Julien |
| 206 | SPENGLER Lukas |
| 207 | VANTOMME Maxime |
| CIBEL-CEBON | |
| 211 | BOUVRY Dieter |
| 212 | COBBAERT Robby |
| 213 | COENEN Dennis |
| 214 | DE BOCK Stijn |
| 215 | JANS Roy |
| 216 | REYNAERTS Wim |
| 217 | STEVENS Timothy |
| TARTELETTO-ISOREX | |
| 221 | BOUCHER David |
| 222 | DE ROOZE Niels |
| 223 | MANNAERTS Jelle |
| 224 | MAES Alexander |
| 225 | RUIJGH Rob |
| 226 | SEFA Ylber |
| 227 | TZORTZAKIS Polychronis |