Omega Pharma – Quick-Step rider Francesco Chicchi won his second race of the week on Friday, taking the sprint victory against some heavy hitters in the 194.5km Handzame Classic (Belgium, UCI 1.1).
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“The magic state I’m in continues,” said Chicchi. “I’m very happy with this victory. We rode strong all day long. Fortunately, Keisse was in the 15-man break that marked the race, and he allowed us to sit in the wheels and save energy. In the final, we all had perfect legs. The team did a fantastic job and I managed to clinch the double just a few days after my victory in Nokere.”
“I want to dedicate this success to all the families of the victims of the disaster at Sierre, a terrible tragedy which we will never forget. All my teammates join me in this dedication.â€
Iljo Keisse did his work earlier in the race for the team, getting into a 15 rider breakaway with slightly less than 190km to go and staying away until 11km remained once the break had split into two groups of four with riders being shelled as the pace increased, and the finish neared.
Once the break was caught, the teams set up their leadout trains for the sprint. Chicchi and Omega Pharma РQuick-Step Cycling Team was up against some tough sprinters, including Adam Blythe (BMC), Marcel Kittel (Project 1T4I), Kenny Van Hummel (Vacansoleil РDCM), Kenny Dehaes (Lotto-Belisol), Robert Forster (United Healthcare), Stefan Van Dijk (Accent Jobs РV̩randas Willems) and Steve Schets (Jong Vlaanderen). However, Chicchi had a strong group with him for the sprint.
“It was good team work today” said Sports Director Tom Steels. “Iljo spent 180km in the breakaway, and then the sprint train was Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, Andy Fenn and Chicchi. That is a nice team of riders.” With 1km to go, Michal Kwiatkowski attacked at the la flamme rouge and with 400 meters, when the sprint was inevitable, the train set up Chicchi for his fifth victory of the season. Blythe was 3rd and Chicchi also beat 2011 sprinter sensation Kittel (2nd).
The saw another podium for Britain’s Adam Blythe who intially was thought to have finished second but in the end, was placed third in the sprint. BMC’s director sportif Max Sciandri says the rhythm in the peloton was really high, “The break went after 20km of racing and we had nobody there so all the teams that weren’t part of the breakaway rode full speed. There has been a strong work from the BMC riders to catch back the 14 men breakaway and we always had one of our guys at the front to work all race long. Then in the last 20 km, Mauro Santambrogio and Matthias Frank worked really hard” said Sciandri.
The break was eventually caught with 11km to go and Francesco Chicchi (OmegaPharma-Quickstep) won the bunch sprint, just ahead Blythe who crossed the line in 3rd position. “It’s been a crazy final, with 300m I tried to come out from the bunch and then I launched my sprint in the last 50 metres†said Blythe. It’s the second top 3 for him this season – he was runner up in Tour of Qatar, Stage 1 – “It’s not bad, now I just need to win“ he said.
Marcel Kittel (2nd) â€meanwhile expressed his dissapointment on Twitter after the race, saying, “Damn, 2nd place. Disappointed. Had to start sprint early at 350 metres to close a gap to an attacking Quickstep rider (Kwiatkowski). Couldn’t hold it until the line … Anyway, thanks to my team! They worked hard to get it together again. Congrats to Chicchi & their smart tactic in the final. You duped me! ;)”
Result
1 Francesco Chicchi Omega Pharma – Quickstep 04:10:00
2 Marcel Kittel 1t4i @ same time
3 Adam Blythe BMC Racing Team @ same time
4 Guillaume Boivin Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
5 Kenny Van Hummel Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
6 Graeme Brown Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
7 Gediminas Bagdonas An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
8 Boy Van Poppel UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis @ same time
9 Kenny Dehaes Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
10 Nikolay Trusov Team Rusvelo @ same time
11 Andre Schulze Team NetApp @ same time
12 Jonas Ahlstrand Team CykelCity.se @ same time
13 Yoeri Havik Cycling Team De Rijke @ same time
14 Hugo Houle Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
15 Roy Jans An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
16 Steve Schets Jong Vlaanderen – Bauknecht @ same time
17 Sven Jodts Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
18 Remco Te Brake Cycling Team De Rijke @ same time
19 Egidijus Juodvalkis Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
20 Frederique Robert Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
21 Eugenio Alafaci Leopard TREK @ same time
22 Matthias Friedemann Champion System @ same time
23 Jean-lou Paiani Saur – Sojasun @ same time
24 Christophe Laborie Saur – Sojasun @ same time
25 Jarl Salomein Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
26 Jacob Keough UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis @ same time
27 Robert Förster UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis @ same time
28 Michael Schwarzmann Team NetApp @ same time
29 James Vanlandschoot Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
30 Aaron Kemps Champion System @ same time
31 Andrew Fenn Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
32 Henrik Abom Team CykelCity.se @ same time
33 Kevin Verwaest Jong Vlaanderen – Bauknecht @ same time
34 Philippe Legrand Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
35 Benjamin Verraes Jong Vlaanderen – Bauknecht @ same time
36 Baptiste Planckaert Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
37 Coen Vermeltfoort Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
38 Kurt Hovelijnck Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
39 Alexander Mironov Team Rusvelo @ same time
40 Fabio Polazzi Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
41 Kevyn Ista Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
42 Stefan Van Dijk Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
43 Chris Jones UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis @ same time
44 Sean Patrick Downey An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
45 Jonas Van Genechten Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
46 Rob Goris Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
47 Nikita Eskov Team Rusvelo @ same time
48 Quentin Bertholet Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
49 Caleb Fairly Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
50 Jens Vandenbogaerde Jong Vlaanderen – Bauknecht @ same time
51 Bert De Backer 1t4i @ same time
52 Rikke Dijkxhoorn Geofco Ville D’Alger @ same time
53 Olivier Chevalier Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
54 Sjef De Wilde Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
55 Dmitry Kozontchuk Team Rusvelo @ same time
56 Philip Vandaele Colba – Superano Ham @ same time
57 Wouter Mol Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
58 Martin Gilbert Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
59 Jos Van Emden Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
60 Mark Christian An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
61 Benjamin Day UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis @ same time
62 Sjoerd Kouwenhoven Cycling Team De Rijke @ same time
63 Martin Kohler BMC Racing Team @ same time
64 Stef Clement Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
65 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
66 Kenneth Vanbilsen An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
67 Markus Eichler Team NetApp @ same time
68 Jeroen Lepla Jong Vlaanderen – Bauknecht @ same time
69 Dominik Klemme 1t4i @ same time
70 Arthur Vanoverberghe Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
71 Jens Debusschere Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
72 Tim Declercq Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
73 Kristof Vandewalle Omega Pharma – Quickstep 00:10
74 Pieter Ghyllebert An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
75 Andy Cappelle Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
76 Sander Cordeel Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
77 Pit Schlechter Leopard TREK @ same time
78 Tom Stamsnijder 1t4i @ same time
79 Ryan Anderson Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
80 Johan Landstrom Team CykelCity.se 00:14
81 Michael Olsson Team CykelCity.se 00:16
82 Rob Ruijgh Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:22
83 Timo Seubert Team NetApp @ same time
84 Julien Vermote Omega Pharma – Quickstep 00:24
85 Marcello Pavarin Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
86 Michal Kwiatkowski Omega Pharma – Quickstep 00:38
87 Andreas Schillinger Team NetApp 00:49
88 Simon Lambert-lemay Spidertech Powered By C10 00:50
89 Sven Vandousselaere Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator 01:09
90 Jelle Wallays Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
91 Mats Boeve Cycling Team De Rijke 01:25
92 Christian Bertilsson Team CykelCity.se @ same time
93 Bradley White UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis 01:45
94 Henryk Cardoen Geofco Ville D’Alger 03:28
95 Matvey Zubov Team Rusvelo @ same time
96 Jonathan Breyne Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
97 Martijn Keizer Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
98 Jacek Morajko Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
99 Will Routley Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
100 Kun Jiang Champion System @ same time
101 Etienne Tortelier Saur – Sojasun @ same time
102 Rony Martias Saur – Sojasun @ same time
103 Sven Van Den Houte Colba – Superano Ham @ same time
104 Jurgen Francois Colba – Superano Ham @ same time
105 Mauro Santambrogio BMC Racing Team @ same time
106 Mathias Frank BMC Racing Team @ same time
107 Alexandr Pliuschin Leopard TREK @ same time
108 Joel Zangerle Leopard TREK @ same time
109 Bob Jungels Leopard TREK @ same time
110 Marco Bandiera Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
111 Iljo Keisse Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
112 Koen Barbe Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
113 Blaz Jarc Team NetApp @ same time
114 Laurent Evrard Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
115 Thomas Damuseau 1t4i @ same time
116 Jerome Baugnies Team NetApp @ same time
117 Pengda Jiao Champion System @ same time
118 Tom Dumoulin 1t4i @ same time
119 Ronan Van Zandbeek 1t4i @ same time
120 Huub Duyn Cycling Team De Rijke @ same time
121 Philip Lindau Team CykelCity.se @ same time
122 Niko Eeckhout An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
123 Dion Beukeboom Cycling Team De Rijke @ same time
124 Yannick Eijssen BMC Racing Team @ same time
125 Pieter Serry Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
126 Christoph Pfingsten Cycling Team De Rijke @ same time
127 Tosh Van Der Sande Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
128 Maarten Neyens Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
129 William Clarke Champion System @ same time
130 Bas Stamsnijder Cycling Team De Rijke @ same time
131 Jetse Bol Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
132 Barry Markus Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
133 Kin San Wu Champion System 05:11
134 Robert Pölder Team CykelCity.se 05:52
135 Giorgio Brambilla Leopard TREK 06:34
