Canadian Cyclist

 

March 31/15 16:00 pm - Three Days De Panne - Koksijde


Posted by Editoress on 03/31/15
 

Alexander Kristoff scores sprint and race lead in opening stage of Three Days De Panne - Koksijde .

It was another win for Team Katusha on Tuesday with Alexander Kristoff out-sprinting his breakaway companions to take the ninth team win of the season and his sixth personal victory in 2015. His teammate and fellow Norwegian Sven Erik Bystrøm was part of the finish action for sixth place.

The win on the line also put Kristoff into the first leader’s jersey by a wide margin of 44-seconds to the pre-race overall contenders.

"On the Leberg I saw that Sven Erik was in front and knew that he didn’t have the best sprint, so I told my other guys to keep it close and I would bridge up. I made it to that group and we worked at full gas all the way to the finish to keep the gap. Debusschere wasn’t pulling so I wasn’t sure how fresh or fast he would be at the end. We went at the same time at 250 m but I had a little more speed in the legs and I could take him. It was not a plan this morning to take the GC this week but we’ll see after tomorrow. We’ve had a very good classics season so far and the whole team is at a very good level. This was our best team effort so far this year. Sven did a great job. It’s his first year professional and last year he won the U23 world championships. He’s my training companion and today we raced really well together. I think he has a great future ahead of him"  said stage winner Alexander Kristoff.

The six-man sprint came from the successful breakaway with Kristoff taking the win on the same time as Belgian champion Jens Debusschere (Lotto Soudal) and Stijn Devolder (Trek Factory Racing). With the time bonuses, Kristoff heads up the GC by 2 seconds, but holds 44-seconds to the trailing main contenders. 

With 13 bergs on course during the 201.6 km stage from De Panne to Zottegem, there were plenty of opportunities to launch an attack. With two men up the road from Lotto Soudal, Bystrøm went to the front at 28 km to go and pushed hard to create a gap. An attentive Kristoff saw the move from his friend and planned to join him soon enough. By 24 km to go Kristoff was across to Bystrøm and once the original two riders were absorbed, it was a breakaway group of six all the way to the finish line – two from Team Katusha, three from Lotto Soudal and Devolder from Trek Factory Racing. Kristoff handily won the sprint, going from 250 m and still surging as he crossed the finish line.

"This was a new way for me to win today as I have not bridged across too many times so it gives me confidence that I am in good shape. That’s important for Flanders" said Alex Kristoff as he looks forward to Sunday’s monumental classic, the Tour of Flanders. 

Racing continues on Wednesday for stage 2. At 217 km the stage begins in Zottegem and ends in Koksijde.

Courtesy Team Katusha

 

Canada's only entry, Antoine Duchesne (Team Europcar) finished 3th, at 34sec. back.



Results

Stage 1: De Panne to Zottegem, 201.6 km
1 Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha) 3:59:31
2 Jens Debusschere (Lotto Soudal)
3 Stijn Devolder (Trek Factory Racing)
4 Sean De Bie (Lotto Soudal)
5 Lars Ytting Bak (Lotto Soudal) all s.t.
6 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Team Katusha) 0:06
7 Stefan Kueng (BMC Racing Team) 0:32
8 Arnaud Demare (FDJ) 0:34
9 Sacha Modolo (Lampre - Merida)
10 Kristian Sbaragli (MTN - Qhubeka)
11 Raymond Kreder (Roompot Oranje Peloton)
12 Youcef Reguigui (MTN - Qhubeka)
13 Rafael Andriato (Southeast)
14 Jasper Stuyven (Trek Factory Racing)
15 Yannick Martinez (Team Europcar)
16 Rick Zabel (BMC Racing Team)
17 Frederik Backaert (Wanty - Groupe Gobert)
18 Jacopo Guarnieri (Team Katusha)
19 André Greipel (Lotto Soudal)
20 Elia Viviani (Team Sky)
21 Riccardo Stacchiotti (Nippo - Vini Fantini)
22 Davide Cimolai (Lampre - Merida)
23 Fabio Sabatini (Etixx - Quick Step)
24 Francesco Gavazzi (Southeast)
25 Yves Lampaert (Etixx - Quick Step)
26 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Orica GreenEDGE)
27 Dennis Coenen (Vastgoedservice - Golden Palace Continental Team)
28 Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ)
29 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Astana Pro Team)
30 Boris Vallee (Lotto Soudal)
31 Manuel Quinziato (BMC Racing Team)
32 Danilo Wyss (BMC Racing Team)
33 Gerry Druyts (Vastgoedservice - Golden Palace Continental Team)
34 Luke Durbridge (Orica GreenEDGE)
35 Klaas Lodewyck (BMC Racing Team)
36 Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani Csf)
37 Vincent Jerome (Team Europcar)
38 Marco Haller (Team Katusha)
39 Antoine Duchesne (Team Europcar)
40 Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky)
41 Christian Knees (Team Sky)
42 Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Pro Team)
43 Julien Vermote (Etixx - Quick Step)
44 Lars Boom (Astana Pro Team)
45 Grégory Rast (Trek Factory Racing)
46 Filippo Pozzato (Lampre - Merida)
47 Roberto Ferrari (Lampre - Merida) all s.t.
48 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Etixx - Quick Step) 3:01
49 Pim Ligthart (Lotto Soudal) s.t.
50 Bert Van Lerberghe (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise) 3:29
51 Christoph Pfingsten (Bora-Argon 18) s.t.
52 Johnny Hoogerland (Roompot Oranje Peloton) 3:31
53 Mauro Finetto (Southeast) s.t.
54 Jens Keukeleire (Orica GreenEDGE) 3:37
55 Dimitri Peyskens (Team 3M) 5:16
56 Brian Van Goethem (Roompot Oranje Peloton)
57 Tony Hurel (Team Europcar)
58 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Team Europcar)
59 Iljo Keisse (Etixx - Quick Step)
60 Russell Downing (Cult Energy Pro Cycling)
61 Bernhard Eisel (Team Sky)
62 Leigh Howard (Orica GreenEDGE)
63 Giuseppe Fonzi (Southeast)
64 Alessandro Malaguti (Nippo - Vini Fantini)
65 Andrew Fenn (Team Sky)
66 Laurens De Vreese (Astana Pro Team)
67 Andreas Schillinger (Bora-Argon 18)
68 Frederique Robert (Wanty - Groupe Gobert)
69 Ralf Matzka (Bora-Argon 18)
70 Sander Cordeel (Vastgoedservice - Golden Palace Continental Team)
71 Michael Reihs (Cult Energy Pro Cycling)
72 Jan Ghyselinck (Wanty - Groupe Gobert)
73 Tim De Troyer (Wanty - Groupe Gobert)
74 Troels Ronning Vinther (Cult Energy Pro Cycling)
75 Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Lampre - Merida)
76 Wesley Kreder (Roompot Oranje Peloton)
77 Tim Declercq (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise)
78 Stijn Steels (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise)
79 Joseph Rosskopf (BMC Racing Team)
80 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise)
81 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Lampre - Merida)
82 Tiziano Dall'antonia (Androni Giocattoli)
83 Jesse Sergent (Trek Factory Racing)
84 Shane Archbold (Bora-Argon 18)
85 Dayer Uberney Quintana Rojas (Movistar Team)
86 Rudiger Selig (Team Katusha)
87 Jasha Sütterlin (Movistar Team)
88 Antoine Demoitie (Wallonie - Bruxelles)
89 Sébastien Chavanel (FDJ)
90 Alexander Porsev (Team Katusha)
91 Scott Thwaites (Bora-Argon 18)
92 Adam Blythe (Orica GreenEDGE)
93 Mark Renshaw (Etixx - Quick Step)
94 William Bonnet (FDJ)
95 Yohann Gene (Team Europcar) all s.t.
96 Matt Brammeier (MTN - Qhubeka) 6:39
97 Jay Robert Thomson (MTN - Qhubeka) 9:10
98 Andrea Guardini (Astana Pro Team)
99 Paolo Simion (Bardiani Csf)
100 Jarl Salomein (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise)
101 Alphonse Vermote (Vastgoedservice - Golden Palace Continental Team)
102 Michael Vingerling (Team 3M)
103 Timothy Stevens (Vastgoedservice - Golden Palace Continental Team)
104 Mads Pedersen (Cult Energy Pro Cycling)
105 Michael Hepburn (Orica GreenEDGE)
106 Eugert Zhupa (Southeast)
107 Jonas Rickaert (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise)
108 Berden De Vries (Roompot Oranje Peloton)
109 Tim Kerkhof (Roompot Oranje Peloton)
110 Nick Dougall (MTN - Qhubeka)
111 Hayden Roulston (Trek Factory Racing)
112 Luka Pibernik (Lampre - Merida)
113 Julien Stassen (Wallonie - Bruxelles)
114 Serge Pauwels (MTN - Qhubeka)
115 Christopher Sutton (Team Sky)
116 Jens Mouris (Orica GreenEDGE)
117 James Vanlandschoot (Wanty - Groupe Gobert)
118 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Movistar Team)
119 Gatis Smukulis (Team Katusha)
120 Enrique Sanz (Movistar Team)
121 Olivier Chevalier (Wallonie - Bruxelles)
122 Enrico Barbin (Bardiani Csf)
123 Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani Csf)
124 Loic Pestiaux (Wallonie - Bruxelles)
125 Damien Howson (Orica GreenEDGE)
126 Michael Schwarzmann (Bora-Argon 18)
127 Bjorn Thurau (Bora-Argon 18)
128 Luca Paolini (Team Katusha) all s.t.
129 Boy Van Poppel (Trek Factory Racing) 15:26
130 Kris Boeckmans (Lotto Soudal) 15:31
131 Marc Sarreau (FDJ) 15:48
132 Theo Bos (MTN - Qhubeka)
133 Mickael Delage (FDJ)
134 Jimmy Engoulvent (Team Europcar)
135 Jaap De Man (Team 3M) all s.t.
136 Martin Mortensen (Cult Energy Pro Cycling) 17:52
137 David Boucher (FDJ)
138 Kenny De Ketele (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise)
139 Marco Bandiera (Androni Giocattoli)
140 Andreas Stauff (MTN - Qhubeka)
141 Jonathan Dufrasne (Wallonie - Bruxelles)
142 Antoine Warnier (Wallonie - Bruxelles)
143 Ivar Slik (Roompot Oranje Peloton)
144 Andrea Piechele (Bardiani Csf)
145 Campbell Flakemore (BMC Racing Team)
146 Oscar Gatto (Androni Giocattoli)
147 Francesco Chicchi (Androni Giocattoli)
148 Lander Seynaeve (Wanty - Groupe Gobert)
149 Kevin Hulsmans (Vastgoedservice - Golden Palace Continental Team) all s.t.
150 Dylan Groenewegen (Roompot Oranje Peloton) 24:15
151 Kevin Van Melsen (Wanty - Groupe Gobert)
152 Melvin Van Zijl (Team 3M)
153 Antonio Viola (Nippo - Vini Fantini)
154 Gaëtan Pons (Wallonie - Bruxelles)
155 Daniil Fominykh (Astana Pro Team)
156 Nicolas Marini (Nippo - Vini Fantini)
157 Mattia Pozzo (Nippo - Vini Fantini)
158 Amaury Capiot (Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise)
159 Mirko Tedeschi (Southeast)
160 Maxat Ayazbayev (Astana Pro Team)
161 Nathan Earle (Team Sky)
162 Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani Csf)
163 Ludwig De Winter (Wallonie - Bruxelles)
164 Genki Yamamoto (Nippo - Vini Fantini)
165 Geert Van Der Weijst (Team 3M)
166 Danny Van Poppel (Trek Factory Racing)
167 Karel Hnik (Cult Energy Pro Cycling)
168 Marco Frapporti (Androni Giocattoli)
169 Shiki Kuroeda (Nippo - Vini Fantini)
170 Frantisek Padour (Androni Giocattoli)
171 Arman Kamyshev (Astana Pro Team)
172 Johan Le Bon (FDJ)
173 Morgan Lamoisson (Team Europcar)
174 Andrea Dal Col (Southeast)
175 Jakub Mareczko (Southeast)
176 Danny Pate (Team Sky)
177 Emiel Vermeulen (Team 3M)
178 Fabrice Mels (Team 3M) all s.t.
179 Kevin Peeters (Vastgoedservice - Golden Palace Continental Team) 24:46
DNF Christophe Sleurs (Team 3M)
DNF Rob Ruijgh (Vastgoedservice - Golden Palace Continental Team)
DNF Fabio Taborre (Androni Giocattoli)
DNF Nicola Ruffoni (Bardiani Csf)
DNF Roy Jans (Wanty - Groupe Gobert)
DNF Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Movistar Team)
DNF John Gadret (Movistar Team)
DNF Gert Steegmans (Trek Factory Racing)
DNF Eduard Michael Grosu (Nippo - Vini Fantini)
DNS Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18)

 

 

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