Showing yet again there is no curse on the rainbow stripes, the Isle of Man’s Mark Cavendish was an easy sprint winner in Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne.
Led out by last year’s winner, Team Sky rider Chris Sutton at the end of the 195 kilometres, Cavendish showed yet again he is the fastest road sprinter as he crossed the line arms aloft ahead of Yauheni Hutarovich (FDJ) and Kenny Van Hummel (Vacansoleil) in third.
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Photo: John Pierce/PhotoSport International UK USA Asia
It was Cav’s first victory in the Belgian Classic and one of his early-season targets he can now tick off the to do list. It was also his third win with Team Sky and its not even March yet.
After Quickstep had been the strongest in Het Volk the day before, Team Sky were nothing shot of awesome as they took control of the race. The eight-man squad covered the early moves before Juan Antonio Flecha and Mathew Hayman worked their way into a breakaway group for the second day in succession, along with Ian Stannard.
That forced the Lotto-Belisol team of Andre Greipel to do much of the work behind to close down the gap and it was back together shortly after the Nokereberg, the last of the day’s eight climbs which came with 52km remaining. From that point onwards Team Sky bossed the race from the front, first keeping a new seven-man escape group within range as the field headed towards the two 16km loops around Kuurne which rounded off the race.
The catch came with 5km to go and the Team Sky lead-out train was then joined by FDJ and Lotto-Belisol but they held their nerve to unleash Cavendish with 270 metres to go and the World Champion made no mistake as he produced his trademark surge to settle the issue.
Talking to Sporza, Cav said “It’s incredible. I don’t know if I can even take any credit for this win. The whole day they looked after me – I was never in the wind and I was always at the front of the peloton.”
“The break went on the Oude-Kwaremont and we had three in the front. The other guys stayed with me but we stayed at the front of the peloton. When they brought it back, they started riding immediately and just stayed there from 50 kilometres to go. They just rode to the finish. I’m so proud.”
Cavendish also revealed that there was a moment when he wasn’t sure whether he would be able to contest the likely bunch sprint, explaining: “I didn’t feel so good earlier on – I was vomiting the whole day. After we finished the cobbled climbs, I spoke with CJ [Sutton] and said ‘you might need to be prepared to sprint as I don’t feel so good’. But once we took control, I got settled down and I had the power there. It was nice to get the sprint. When we came into the final corner, I knew I could win.”
“I had to go a bit earlier than I’d hoped. It was quite a windy finish and I saw the bunch come and I had to go at about 270m but I was able to hold on and win.”
RESULT
1 Mark Cavendish Sky Procycling 04:27:30
2 Yauheni Hutarovich Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
3 Kenny Van Hummel Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
4 Arnaud Demare Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
5 Alexander Serebryakov Team Type 1 – SANOFI @ same time
6 Tom Veelers 1t4i @ same time
7 Sébastien Chavanel Europcar @ same time
8 Stefan Van Dijk Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
9 Alexander Kristoff Katusha Team @ same time
10 Andre Greipel Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
11 Guillaume Boivin Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
12 Aidis Kruopis GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
13 Manuel Belletti Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
14 Adrien Petit Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
15 Mark Renshaw Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
16 Adam Blythe BMC Racing Team @ same time
17 Guillaume Blot Bretagne Schuller @ same time
18 Tyler Farrar Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
19 Luca Paolini Katusha Team @ same time
20 Leif Hoste Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
21 Alessandro Bazzana Team Type 1 – SANOFI @ same time
22 Jean-pierre Drucker Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
23 Michael Van Staeyen Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
24 Romain Feillu Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
25 Steven Caethoven Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
26 Alexander Porsev Katusha Team @ same time
27 Davy Commeijne Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
28 Gert Steegmans Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
29 Pier Paolo De Negri Farnese Vini – Selle Italia @ same time
30 Martin Gilbert Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
31 Baptiste Planckaert Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
32 Timo Seubert Team NetApp @ same time
33 Laurens De Vreese Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
34 Tom Leezer Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
35 Gediminas Bagdonas An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
36 Tom Van Asbroeck Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
37 Yukiya Arashiro Europcar @ same time
38 Robin Stenuit Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
39 Rony Martias Saur – Sojasun @ same time
40 Jens Keukeleire GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
41 Christopher Sutton Sky Procycling @ same time
42 Tom Boonen Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
43 Keven Lacombe Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
44 James Vanlandschoot Accent.jobs – Willems Veranda’s @ same time
45 Fabio Polazzi Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
46 Sébastien Turgot Europcar @ same time
47 Edwig Cammaerts Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
48 Sven Vandousselaere Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
49 Grischa Janorschke Team NetApp @ same time
50 Maxime Vantomme Katusha Team @ same time
51 Jean-lou Paiani Saur – Sojasun @ same time
52 Michael Schar BMC Racing Team @ same time
53 Kris Boeckmans Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
54 Martijn Maaskant Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
55 Christophe Laborie Saur – Sojasun @ same time
56 Niels Wytinck An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
57 Nikolas Maes Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
58 Pieter Ghyllebert An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
59 Lloyd Mondory Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
60 Renaud Dion Bretagne Schuller @ same time
61 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
62 Mirko Selvaggi Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
63 Klaas Lodewyck BMC Racing Team @ same time
64 Egidijus Juodvalkis Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
65 Alexey Tsatevitch Katusha Team @ same time
66 Stijn Neirynck Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator @ same time
67 Roy Curvers 1t4i @ same time
68 David Boucher Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
69 Taylor Phinney BMC Racing Team @ same time
70 Kevin Hulsmans Farnese Vini – Selle Italia @ same time
71 Johan Le Bon Bretagne Schuller @ same time
72 Florent Barle Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
73 Markus Eichler Team NetApp @ same time
74 Vicente Reynes Mimo Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
75 Matti Helminen Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
76 Philippe Legrand Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
77 Hugo Houle Spidertech Powered By C10 @ same time
78 Jimmy Engoulvent Saur – Sojasun @ same time
79 Stijn Ennekens An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
80 Ian Stannard Sky Procycling @ same time
81 Jack Bauer Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
82 Travis Meyer GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
83 Vegard Laengen Stake Team Type 1 – SANOFI @ same time
84 Danilo Wyss BMC Racing Team @ same time
85 Martin Mortensen Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
86 Romain Lemarchand Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
87 Vincent Jerome Europcar @ same time
88 Kevin Van Impe Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
89 Juan Antonio Flecha Sky Procycling @ same time
90 Jonas Van Genechten Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
91 Laszlo Bodrogi Team Type 1 – SANOFI @ same time
92 Mathew Hayman Sky Procycling @ same time
93 S̩bastien Hinault Ag2R РLa Mondiale @ same time
94 Gregory Henderson Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
95 Stijn Vandenbergh Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
96 Johan Vansummeren Team Garmin – Barracuda @ same time
97 Gabriel Rasch Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
98 Mark Mcnally An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
99 Laurent Evrard Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
100 Maarten Wynants Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
101 Greg Van Avermaet BMC Racing Team @ same time
102 Jeremie Galland Saur – Sojasun @ same time
103 Steve Houanard Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
104 Jetse Bol Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
105 Stijn Devolder Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
106 Koen Barbe Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
107 Lars Boom Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
108 Marco Haller Katusha Team @ same time
109 Martin Elmiger Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
110 Luca Mazzanti Farnese Vini – Selle Italia @ same time
111 Manuel Quinziato BMC Racing Team 00:20
112 Alessandro Ballan BMC Racing Team @ same time
113 Frederik Willems Lotto – Belisol Team 00:29
114 Dennis Van Winden Rabobank Cycling Team 00:35
115 Jens Debusschere Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
116 Dominique Rollin Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
117 William Bonnet Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
118 Egoitz GarcÃa Etxegibel Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne 00:40
119 Wouter Mol Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
120 Niko Eeckhout An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
121 Marcel Sieberg Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
122 Jeremy Hunt Sky Procycling 01:30
123 Matti Breschel Rabobank Cycling Team 01:46
124 John Degenkolb 1t4i 01:54
125 Sylvain Chavanel Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
126 Matthieu Ladagnous Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat 02:08
127 Sebastien Delfosse Landbouwkrediet – Euphony @ same time
128 Aleksandr Kuschynski Katusha Team 02:12
129 Kristof Goddaert Ag2R – La Mondiale 02:19
130 Jan Ghyselinck Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
131 Thomas Voeckler Europcar @ same time
132 Alex Dowsett Sky Procycling 03:05
133 Bernhard Eisel Sky Procycling @ same time
134 Jimmy Casper Ag2R – La Mondiale 03:31
135 Martijn Verschoor Team Type 1 – SANOFI @ same time
136 Jerome Baugnies Team NetApp 04:52
137 Tom Stamsnijder 1t4i 05:25
138 Oscar Gatto Farnese Vini – Selle Italia @ same time
139 Matthew Wilson GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
