Being part of a group which reeled in former breakaway companion Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) inside the final 50 metres of the Dwars Door Vlaanderen, Oscar Gatto sprinted home for a fine win today.
The Vini Fantini-Selle Italia rider finished ahead of Borut Bozic (Astana Pro Team), Mathew Hayman (Sky Procycling), Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team) and a shattered Voeckler, picking up his first win of the season.
“I am happy,” said a delighted Gatto afterwards. “I have repaid the faith of the organizers and of my team. It was a very tough race, but I felt I was in shape and had to try. It went well. I love the North and hope to do well in what is the race of my dreams: Flanders.”
The riders were all part of a group which got clear earlier in the race; Voeckler made his bid for victory inside the final ten kilometres and seemed set for victory, but wilted dramatically inside the final two kilometres and was caught practically on the line.
“I was the victim of cramps inside the final 100 metres,” he said afterwards. “I thought I was going to take the victory, but I just missed out.”
How it played out:
As was the case in Milan-Sanremo, the riders once again faced cold, grey conditions in today’s Belgian event. A large breakaway got clear early on and after it was brought back, another move slipped away en route to the Nieuwe Kwaremont climb with fourteen riders present.
The group comprised a strong Romain Zingle (Cofidis), as well as Gert Steegmans (Omega Pharma QuickStep), Tom Stamsnijder (Argos Shimano), Irish road race champion Matt Brammeier (Champion System), Team Saxo Tinkoff’s Chris Juul Jensen, Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto Belisol), Yohann Gene (Europcar), Frederik Veuchelen (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team), Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team), Assan Bazayev (Astana), Nico Sijmens (Cofidis, Solutions Credits), Aleksejs Saramotins (IAM Cycling), Mathew Hayman (Team Sky) and Danilo Napolitano (Accent Jobs - Wanty).
Zingle attacked and led alone for some time, but was joined by a smaller group of chasers, namely Brammeier, Hayman, Veuchelen, Saramotins, Mol, Bazayev and Steegmans. These finally succeeded in building a good lead and had over a minute and a half inside the final eighty kilometres.
From this group Steegmans subsequently jumped clear on the climb of Steenbeekdries, with Hayman and then Saramotins joining him. The trio raced on to the second ascent of the Knokteberg climb, where Hayman pushed ahead of Steegmans and Saramotins.
Back in the bunch, Maxim Iglinskiy put on a show of force and as a result of the injection of pace, the peloton broke apart and a chasing group went clear.
From this move Stijn Vandenbergh got across to Hayman, with Gatto following soon afterwards. They were in turn joined by Iglinskiy, Voeckler, Stannard, Maes, Keukeleire, Bozic, and Vacansoleil DCM’s Mirko Selvaggi, and together the group floored it to make sure it stayed away.
Heading into the final ten kilometres, the peloton was half a minute back. On the final climb first Keukeleire and then Stannard tried and failed to open a lasting solo attack; their surges were countered by one by Voeckler, which saw him open a ten second lead with six kilometres left.
He appeared to be heading for a big win, pulling further ahead, but Vandenbergh went flat out to reduce the deficit, then Stannard put in a massive pull which dragged the chasing group close enough to Voeckler to ensure that another could snatch the victory.
That’s precisely what happened, with the four riders getting past Voeckler inside the final 50 metres. Gatto beat Bozic, Hayman and Selvaggi to the line, while Voeckler only took fifth.
The Frenchman will rue the missed opportunity, but it is clear his form is building well and he’ll be on the attack again soon.
Dwars door Vlaanderen (1.HC), Belgium:
Roeselare to Waregem:
1, Oscar Gatto (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia) 199.7 kilometres in 4 hours 43 mins 40 secs
2, Borut Bozic (Astana Pro Team)
3, Mathew Hayman (Sky Procycling)
4, Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
5, Thomas Voeckler (Team Europcar)
6, Nikolas Maes (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team)
7, Jens Keukeleire (Orica-GreenEdge)
8, Maxim Iglinsky (Astana Pro Team) all same time
9, Ian Stannard (Sky Procycling) at 4 secs
10, Stijn Vandenbergh (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team) at 24 secs
11, Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team) at 1 min 13 secs
12, Sébastien Turgot (Team Europcar)
13, Bertjan Lindeman (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
14, Maxime Vantomme (Crelan-Euphony)
15, Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
16, Pieter Jacobs (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise)
17, Gustav Larsson (IAM Cycling)
18, Bjorn Thurau (Team Europcar)
19, Geraint Thomas (Sky Procycling) at 1 min 20 secs
20, Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) at 2 mins 14 secs
21, Aleksejs Saramotins (IAM Cycling)
22, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team)
23, Laurens De Vreese (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise)
24, Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Movistar Team) at 2 mins 21 secs
25, Luka Mezgec (Team Argos-Shimano)
26, Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEdge)
27, Yauheni Hutarovich (Ag2R La Mondiale)
28, Sébastien Hinault (IAM Cycling)
29, Jan Ghyselinck (Cofidis, Solutions Credits)
30, Nicolas Vereecken (An Post-Chainreaction)
31, Raymond Kreder (Garmin-Sharp)
32, Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Katusha)
33, Jean-Pierre Drucker (Accent Jobs-Wanty)
34, Baptiste Plackaert (Crelan-Euphony)
35, Stijn Neirynck (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise)
36, Luke Rowe (Sky Procycling)
37, Yves Lampaert (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise)
38, Wesley Kreder (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
39, Alexey Tsatevitch (Katusha)
40, Tony Gallopin (RadioShack Leopard)
41, Sébastien Minard (Ag2R La Mondiale)
42, Salvatore Puccio (Sky Procycling)
43, Anders Lund (Team Saxo-Tinkoff)
44, Mitchell Docker (Orica-GreenEdge)
45, Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
46, Marco Haller (Katusha)
47, Kevin Hulsmans (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia)
48, Tomas Vaitkus (Orica-GreenEdge)
49, Kristof Vandewalle (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team)
50, Iljo Keisse (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team) at 2 mins 28 secs
51, Tom Veelers (Team Argos-Shimano)
52, Andreas Klier (Garmin-Sharp)
53, Steve Chainel (Ag2R La Mondiale) at 3 mins 38 secs
54, Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Sharp)
55, Markus Eichler (Team NetApp-Endura)
56, Rudiger Selig (Katusha)
57, James Vanlandschoot (Accent Jobs-Wanty)
58, Niko Eeckhout (An Post-Chainreaction)
59, Eliot Lietaer (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise)
60, Egoitz Garcia Echeguibel (Cofidis, Solutions Credits)
61, Alphonse Vermote (An Post-Chainreaction)
62, Stijn Devolder (RadioShack Leopard)
63, Gijs Van Hoecke (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise)
64, Dirk Bellemakers (Lotto Belisol) at 6 mins 48 secs
Did not finish:
Adrien Petit (Cofidis, Solutions Credits)
Aidis Kruopis (Orica GreenEdge)
Alex Dowsett (Movistar Team)
Alexander Wetterhall (Team NetApp Endura)
Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (Movistar Team)
Arnaud Labbe (Cofidis, Solutions Credits)
Assan Bazayev (Astana Pro Team)
Ben Hermans (RadioShack Leopard)
Benjamin Verraes (Accent Jobs-Wanty)
Bert De Backer (Team Argos-Shimano)
Blaz Jarc (Team NetApp Endura)
Bob Jungels (RadioShack Leopard)
Bobbie Traksel (Champion System Pro Cycling Team)
Bryan Coquard (Team Europcar)
Chan Jae Jang (Champion System Pro Cycling Team)
Christophe Premont (Crelan-Euphony)
Christopher Juul Jensen (Team Saxo-Tinkoff)
Christopher Sutton (Sky Procycling)
Clinton Robert Avery (Champion System Pro Cycling Team)
Damien Gaudin (Team Europcar)
Daniel Schorn (Team NetApp Endura)
Danilo Napolitano (Accent Jobs-Wanty)
Danny Van Poppel (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
David Millar (Garmin-Sharp)
Davide Appollonio (Ag2R La Mondiale)
Dmitriy Gruzdev (Astana Pro Team)
Dmitriy Muravyev (Astana Pro Team)
Egidijus Juodvalkis (Crelan-Euphony)
Eloy Teruel Rovira (Movistar Team)
Enrique Sanz (Movistar Team)
Florent Barle (Cofidis, Solutions Credits)
Frantisek Rabon (Omega Pharma Quick Step)
Frederik Veuchelen (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
Frederique Robert (Lotto Belisol)
Fumiyuki Beppu (Orica GreenEdge)
Gabriel Rasch (Sky Procycling)
Gaetan Bille (Lotto Belisol)
Gang Xu (Champion System Pro Cycling Team)
Gatis Smukulis (Katusha)
Gediminas Bagdonas (Ag2R La Mondiale)
Gert Steegmans (Omega Pharma Quick Step)
Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack Leopard)
Giovanni Visconti (Movistar Team)
Glenn O'shea (An Post-Chainreaction)
Hayden Roulston (RadioShack Leopard)
Hugo Houle (Ag2R La Mondiale)
Jack Bauer (Garmin-Sharp)
Jacob Rathe (Garmin-Sharp)
Jacopo Guarnieri (Astana Pro Team)
Jens Debusschere (Lotto Belisol)
Jerome Cousin (Team Europcar)
Jesse Sergent (RadioShack Leopard)
Jesus Herrada Lopez (Movistar Team)
Jonas Aaen Jörgensen (Team Saxo-Tinkoff)
Jonathan Breyne (Crelan-Euphony)
Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Movistar Team)
Julien Fouchard (Cofidis, Solutions Credits)
Kenny De Haes (Lotto Belisol)
Kin San Wu (Champion System Pro Cycling Team)
Koen Barbe (Crelan-Euphony)
Koen De Kort (Team Argos-Shimano)
Kristof Goddaert (IAM Cycling)
Kurt Hovelynck (Crelan-Euphony)
Luke Durbridge (Orica GreenEdge)
Maarten Neyens (Lotto Belisol)
Mark Mcnally (An Post-Chainreaction)
Markel Irizar Aranburu (RadioShack Leopard)
Marko Kump (Team Saxo-Tinkoff)
Matt Brammeier (Champion System Pro Cycling Team)
Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling)
Mattia Pozzo (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia)
Mauro Finetto (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia)
Michael Hepburn (Orica GreenEdge)
Michael Morkov (Team Saxo-Tinkoff)
Michael Schwarzmann (Team NetApp Endura)
Morgan Lamoisson (Team Europcar)
Nico Sijmens (Cofidis, Solutions Credits)
Niels Wytinck (An Post-Chainreaction)
Pengda Jiao (Champion System Pro Cycling Team)
Pier Paolo De Negri (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia)
Pirmin Lang (IAM Cycling)
Preben Van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise)
Rafael Andriato (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia)
Ralf Matzka (Team NetApp Endura)
Ramon Sinkeldam (Team Argos-Shimano)
Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (Team Argos-Shimano)
Reto Hollenstein (IAM Cycling)
Romain Zingle (Cofidis, Solutions Credits)
Roy Curvers (Team Argos-Shimano)
Roy Jans (Accent Jobs-Wanty)
Ruslan Tleubayev (Astana Pro Team)
Russell Downing (Team NetApp Endura)
Ryan Roth (Champion System Pro Cycling Team)
Sam Bennett (An Post-Chainreaction)
Sander Cordeel (Lotto Belisol)
Sébastien Rosseler (Garmin-Sharp)
Staf Scheirlinckx (Accent Jobs-Wanty)
Steele Von Hoff (Garmin-Sharp)
Stefan Van Dijk (Accent Jobs-Wanty)
Stefano Borchi (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia)
Steven Van Vooren (An Post-Chainreaction
Stijn Steels (Crelan-Euphony)
Takashi Miyazawa (Team Saxo-Tinkoff)
Tim De Troyer (Accent Jobs-Wanty)
Tom Stamsnijder (Team Argos-Shimano)
Tom Van Asbroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise)
Tosh Van Der Sande (Lotto Belisol)
Valentin Iglinskiy (Ag2R La Mondiale)
Vladimir Gusev (Katusha)
Vladimir Isaichev (Katusha)
Wouter Mol (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
Yohann Gene (Team Europcar)